Methods for controlling plant pathogens using N-phosphonomethylglycine

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for disease control in plants. The compositions for use in the methods of the invention include glyphosate as the active compound. In addition, methods and compositions are disclosed to prevent and treat pest infection in glyphosate tolerant plants.

This application claims benefit under 35USC § 119(e) of U.S. provisionalapplication Ser. No. 60/557,403 filed Mar. 30, 2004, U.S. provisionalapplication Ser. No. 60/622,134 filed Oct. 26, 2004, and U.S.provisional application serial number [Atty. Dkt. 16518.136PV] filedFeb. 18, 2005, herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for pestcontrol in plants. More particularly, it relates to methods andcompositions for controlling, preventing, or treating plant pathogensusing N-phosphonomethylglycine and compositions containingN-phosphonomethylglycine in plants tolerant to N-phosphonomethylglycine.

BACKGROUND

The development of herbicide tolerant crops allows for the greater useof post-emergent herbicides during agricultural cultivation of the crop.One example of a post-emergent herbicide is N-phosphonomethylglycine,also known as glyphosate, a well known herbicide that has activity on abroad spectrum of plant species. Glyphosate is the active ingredient ofRoundup® (Monsanto Co., St. Louis, Mo.), a safe herbicide having adesirably short half-life in the environment. When applied onto a plantsurface, glyphosate moves systemically through the plant. Glyphosate istoxic to plants by inhibiting an enzyme in the shikimic acid pathwaythat provides a precursor for the synthesis of aromatic amino acids.Plants, fungi and some bacteria contain the5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) enzyme that issensitive to the toxic effects of glyphosate.

Farmers typically rely on genetic resistance to provide protection fromplant pathogen infection and disease. However, sufficient geneticresistance is not always available in the crops being produced orundesirable traits are linked to the genetic resistance genetic loci.Farmers must then apply pesticides to control the pathogen infections,significantly increasing the cost of growing the crops and impact to theenvironment.

Controlling the crop loss to fungal diseases is expensive. The UnitedStates Department of Agriculture estimated that fungicide use to combatthe Asian soybean rust alone could add $25 an acre, or 15 percent to 20percent, to the cost of growing soybeans. If fungicides were applied toall U.S. fields planted with soybeans in 2004, it would cost farmers atotal of about $1.87 billion.

It would be advantageous to develop methods and chemical mixtures forcontrolling pathogens and disease in glyphosate tolerant crop plantsusing compositions that are effective and safe. Such methods wouldreduce the cost of growing crops by reducing the number of inputs afarmer uses to treat a crop field while providing protection from lossesdo to plant disease.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method of controlling plant pathogendisease in a glyphosate tolerant crop plant where the method comprises,identifying a crop plant in need of disease control, and contacting theplant with an effective amount of a composition having glyphosate,whereby the disease of the crop plant by a plant pathogen is controlled.In particular, the plant pathogen is a fungus and has a glyphosatesensitive 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase.

The present invention also provides a method of preventing disease in aglyphosate tolerant crop plant by a pathogen where the method comprises,identifying a crop plant at risk of pathogen infection, and contactingat least a portion of the crop plant with an effective amount ofglyphosate to prevent infection of the plant by a plant pathogen. Inparticular, the plant pathogen is a fungus and has a glyphosatesensitive 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase.

The present invention further provides a method of treating a plantdisease that comprises, identifying a glyphosate tolerant crop plantinfected with a plant pathogen, and contacting the crop plant with aneffective amount of a composition comprising glyphosate. In particular,the plant pathogen is a fungus and has a glyphosate sensitive5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase.

The present invention also provides a method of controlling weeds andpathogens in a field of glyphosate tolerant crop plants, where themethod comprises applying a first composition comprising an herbicidalcomposition, and applying a second composition comprising an effectiveamount of glyphosate, where the second composition controls a disease ofthe crop plants by a plant pathogen that has a glyphosate sensitive5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase.

The present invention further provides a method of increasing the yieldof a glyphosate tolerant crop plant, the method comprising, growing acrop plant having an exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding apolypeptide, where the polypeptide confers tolerance to glyphosate,identifying said crop plant as in need of disease control, applying acomposition comprising glyphosate to the plant to control a plantpathogen that has a glyphosate sensitive5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase, and harvesting from thecrop plant a tissue or seed, wherein the yield increase is due tocontrol of the disease.

The present invention also provides an admixture of a glyphosatecompound and a pest control compound. Preferably, the admixturecomprises a glyphosate compound and a fungicide compound for use on aglyphosate tolerant cro plant to prevent or control plant disease causedby a plant pathogen, in particular, the plant pathogen is a fungus andhas a glyphosate sensitive 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase.The fungicide compound of the admixture may be a systemic or contactfungicide or mixtures of each. More particularly the fungicide compoundincludes, but is not limited to members of the chemical groupsstrobilurins, triazoles, chloronitriles, carboxamides and mixturesthereof. The pest control compound in the admixture with glyphosatefurther comprises an insecticide compound, thereby reducing the numbersof chemical applications to a field of glyphosate tolerant plants.

The present invention provides a method to reduce the crop residues andenvironmental residues of a glyphosate compound and a fungicide compoundby formulating an admixture of the compounds, and applying to a cropplant a dose that is less than the dose normally applied to a crop plantof each compound, wherein the treated crop plant is protected from croplosses due to fungal disease, and the glyphosate and fungicide residuesin the plant or environment are reduced.

The present invention also provides a method to reduce fungal resistanceto a fungicide by providing an admixture of a glyphosate compound and afungicide compound, and treating a crop plant that is susceptible to afungal pathogen, wherein the compounds have different modes of action toprevent or reduce fungal disease.

The present invention also provides a method for treating leaf rust in asoybean plant comprising identifying a soybean plant as being infectedwith rust, and applying a composition having glyphosate to the soybeanplant or portion thereof, whereby the composition results in the diseasebeing controlled. In another aspect the treatment is a compositionhaving a glyphosate and a fungicide composition to the soybean plant orportion thereof, whereby the composition results in the disease beingcontrolled.

The present invention also provides a method for preventing leaf rust ina soybean plant comprising identifying a soybean plant as being at riskof infection by rust, and applying a composition having glyphosate tothe soybean plant or portion thereof, whereby the infection is inhibitedin the soybean plant. In another aspect of the invention, a compositionhaving a glyphosate compound and a fungicide compound is applied to thesoybean plant or portion thereof, whereby the infection is inhibited inthe soybean plant.

The present invention also provides a method for treating leaf rust in acorn plant comprising identifying a corn plant as being infected withrust, and applying a composition having glyphosate to the corn plant orportion thereof, whereby the composition results in the disease beingcontrolled.

The present invention also provides a method for treating leaf rust in acorn plant comprising identifying a corn plant as being infected withrust, and applying a composition having a glyphosate compound and afungicide compound to the corn plant or portion thereof, whereby thecomposition results in the disease being controlled.

The present invention also provides a method for preventing leaf rust ina corn plant comprising identifying a corn plant as being at risk ofinfection by rust, and applying a composition having glyphosate to thecorn plant, whereby the infection is inhibited in the corn plant.

The present invention also provides a method for preventing leaf rust ina corn plant comprising identifying a corn plant as being at risk ofinfection by rust, and applying a composition having a glyphosatecompound and a fungicide compound to the corn plant, whereby theinfection is inhibited in the corn plant.

The present invention also provides a method for treating a fungal wiltdisease in a cotton plant comprising identifying a cotton plant as beinginfected with the fungal wilt pathogen, and applying a compositionhaving glyphosate to the cotton plant or portion thereof, whereby thecomposition results in the disease being controlled. In another aspectof the method, the glyphosate composition comprises a plant systemicfungicide.

The present invention also provides a method for preventing a fungalwilt disease in a cotton plant comprising identifying a cotton plant asbeing at risk of infection by a fungal wilt pathogen, and applying acomposition having glyphosate to the cotton plant, whereby the infectionis inhibited in the cotton plant. In another aspect of the method, theglyphosate composition comprises a plant systemic fungicide.

The present invention also contemplates a glyphosate containingcomposition that is enhanced for the uptake into glyphosate tolerantcrops or fungal pathogens of those crops. In another aspect of thepresent invention, the glyphosate composition comprises an adjuvant.

A method to control a fungal disease in a glyphosate tolerant crop plantcomprising treatment of the crop plant with an effective dose of aglyphosate composition, wherein the crop plant is selected from thegroup consisting of Roundup Ready® Cotton 1445 and 88913; Roundup Ready®corn GA21, nk603, MON802, MON809; Roundup Ready® Sugarbeet GTSB77 andH7-1; Roundup Ready® Canola RT73 and GT200; oilseed rape ZSR500, RoundupReady® Soybean 40-3-2, Roundup Ready® Bentgrass ASR368, and RoundupReady® potato RBMT22-082. Preferably, the glyphosate composition is in aformulation comprising Roundup WeatherMAX®, more preferably theglyphosate composition contains a fungicide.

A method for controlling a fungal disease in a glyphosate tolerant cropplant comprising treatment of a crop plant cell with a glyphosatecomposition, wherein a chemical exchange between the crop plant cell anda fungal cell occurs allowing movement of the glyphosate into the fungalcell from the crop plant cell, and the fungal cell contains a glyphosatesensitive EPSPS enzyme. In another aspect of the method, the glyphosatecomposition comprises a plant systemic fungicide.

The present invention also provides a container comprises a glyphosatecompound and a pest control compound. In another aspect of theinvention, a kit is provided for controlling pathogens on crop plants,comprising, a composition comprising glyphosate, and an instructionmeans for applying the composition in a first application to controlweeds and a second application to a crop plant to control a plantpathogen. In particular, the plant pathogen is a fungus and has aglyphosate sensitive 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a graph depicting a decrease in rust disease infection with anincrease in glyphosate treatment. In the data shown in FIG. 1, the topfully expanded wheat leaf was shielded from Roundup® spray (0-1×, 1× at0.75 lb ae/a) followed by inoculation of wheat rust spores to theshielded leaf at 1 day after treatment (DAT).

FIG. 2 shows the comparison of Roundup WeatherMAX® and Touchdown™ IQ forcontrolling wheat rust disease when applied before (preventative) orafter (curative) inoculation with wheat rust spores, glyphosateformulation were applied at ⅛× to 1× rates in Roundup Ready Wheat®.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for diseasecontrol, prevention or treatment in plants. In a preferred aspect, themethods of the invention relate to methods of controlling, preventing ortreating disease in glyphosate tolerant crop plants.

Typically, glyphosate compositions have been applied as an herbicide.Surprisingly, it has been found that glyphosate compositions also havepesticidal properties. In a preferred aspect, the glyphosatecompositions have fungicidal activity when used on glyphosate tolerantcrop plants. In another aspect of the invention, a composition thatcomprises a glyphosate compound and a fungicide compound has been shownto be particularly effective in controlling fungal disease. A reduceddosage rate of each compound than that normally applied to control weedsor fungal disease has been shown to be effective in controlling fungaldisease.

As such, the present invention provides methods of using glyphosatecompositions or admixtures containing glyphosate and a fungicide forcontrolling, preventing or treating plant pathogen infection inglyphosate tolerant crop plants. These methods are useful in thecontrol, prevention or treatment of plant disease, for example, fungaldiseases in soybean, wheat, corn, rice, canola, alfalfa, sugarbeet,potato, tomato, cotton or other crop plants genetically modified forglyphosate tolerance.

The section headings are used herein for organizational purposes only,and are not to be construed as in any way limiting the subject matterdescribed.

I. Methods of the Present Invention

The present disclosure provides methods for controlling, preventing ortreating disease in crop plants by applying compositions containingN-phosphonomethylglycine and the salts thereof (also referred to hereinas glyphosate compound) to a crop plant in need of disease control,prevention or treatment. In one aspect, the methods include contacting acrop plant in need of disease control, prevention or treatment with aneffective amount of a chemical composition containing glyphosate tocontrol, prevent or treat a plant pathogen infection in the crop plant.In a preferred aspect, the crop plant for which disease control,prevention or treatment is desired is glyphosate tolerant.

As used herein “disease control” refers to preventing or treating apathogen infection in a plant. It is intended that the plants avoid orminimize the disease or symptoms thereof that are the outcome of variousplant-pathogen interactions. That is, pathogens are prevented fromcausing plant diseases or the associated disease symptoms or both, oralternatively, the disease or associated disease symptoms are minimizedor lessened in plants treated with a glyphosate composition compared toan untreated plant. In a preferred aspect, infection is prevented orcontrolled through glyphosate activity on the pathogen. While theinvention does not depend on any particular reduction in the severity ofdisease symptoms, the methods of the invention will in one aspect reducethe disease symptoms resulting from a pathogen infection by at leastabout 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95% compared to aplant not treated with a glyphosate composition (or an “untreatedplant”). Hence, the methods of the invention include those that can beutilized to protect plants from disease, particularly those diseasesthat are caused by plant pathogens. A reduction in infection or diseasesymptoms can be measured using any reproducible means of measurement. Inone aspect, a reduction in infection or disease symptoms is measured bycounting the number of lesions, pustules, or both on a leaf surface andcomparing to the number of lesions, pustules or both on an untreatedplant.

As used herein, a “plant in need” refers to any plant for which diseasecontrol, prevention or treatment is desired. In particular, the termrefers to a plant that is at risk of being infected by a plant pathogen,or is infected by a pathogen. A plant may be at risk of infection incircumstances where pathogens are more likely to infect the plant, forexample, in disease optimal climate conditions or where other diseasehosts in a field have been treated with a herbicide and diseasecrossover from the dying plant to the standing plant is possible. Aninfected plant can be identified through observation of disease symptomson the plant. The disease symptoms expressed will depend on the disease,but in general the symptoms include lesions, pustules, necrosis,hypersensitive responses, wilt, chlorosis, induction of defense relatedgenes (e.g. SAR genes) and the like.

Disease infections or associated symptoms can be identified by any meansof identifying infection or related symptoms. Various methods areavailable to identify infected plants and the associated diseasesymptoms. In one aspect, the methods may involve macroscopic ormicroscopic screening for infection and/or symptoms, or the use ofmicroarrays for detection of infection related genes (e.g. SystemicAcquired Resistance genes, defensin genes, and the like). Macroscopicand microscopic methods for determining pathogen infection in a plantare known in the art and include the identification of damage on planttissue caused by infection or by the presence of lesions, necrosis,spores, hyphae, growth of fungal mycelium, wilts, blights, spots onfruits, rots, galls and stunts, and the like. Such symptoms can becompared to non-infected plants, photos or illustrations of infectedplants or combinations thereof to determine the presence of an infectionor the identity of the pathogen or both. Photos and illustrations of thesymptoms of pathogen infection are widely available in the art and areavailable for example, from the American Phytopathological society, St.Paul, Minn. 55121-2097. In one aspect, the symptoms are visible to thenaked eye or by a specified magnification. In a preferred aspect, thespecified magnification is 2×, 3×, 4×, 5×, 10×, or 50×.

In another aspect, the infection or associated symptom can be identifiedusing commercially available test kits to identify pathogens in plants.Such test kits are available, for example, from local agriculturalextensions or cooperatives. In another aspect, identifying a crop plantin need of treatment is by prediction of weather and environmentalconditions conducive for disease development. In another aspect, personsskilled in scouting fields of crop plants for plant disease identify acrop in need of treatment.

In yet another aspect, an infection or associated symptom can beidentified using Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnosticassays. PCR-based assays are described for example to detect thepresence of Gaeumannomyces graminis (GGT, Take-all disease) in infectedwheat using PCR amplification of sequences specific to the pathogenmitochondrial genome (Schlesser et al., 1991; Applied and Environ.Microbiol. 57: 553-556), and random amplified polymorphic DNA (i.e.RAPD) markers to distinguish numerous races of Gremmeniella abietina,the causal agent of scleroderris canker in conifers. U.S. Pat. No.5,585,238 (incorporated by reference in its entirety) describes primersderived from the ITS sequences of the ribosomal RNA gene region ofstrains of Septoria, Pseudocercosporella, and Mycosphaerella and theiruse in the identification of these fungal isolates using PCR-basedtechniques. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,274 (incorporated byreference in its entirety) describes primers derived from the ITSsequences of the ribosomal RNA gene region of strains of Fusarium andtheir use in the identification of these fungal isolates using PCR-basedtechniques. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,997 (incorporated byreference in its entirety) describes primers derived from the ITSsequences of the ribosomal RNA gene region of strains of Cercospora,Helminthosporium, Kabatiella, and Puccinia and their use in theidentification of these fungal isolates using PCR-based techniques. Thespecific methods of identification will depend on the pathogen.

As used herein, “contacting” refers to treatment of a crop plant with aglyphosate composition either directly on a crop plant, or immediatelyadjacent to the crop plant where the glyphosate can be taken-up into thecrop plant's vascular system. In methods where the composition isdirectly contacted with the crop plant, the composition may be contactedwith the entire crop plant or with only a portion of the plant.Additionally, a plant pathogen may be contacted with the glyphosatecomposition either by direct contact on a plant surface or by contactinga plant cell or tissue that contains glyphosate. In a preferred aspect,a plant is contacted with a glyphosate composition by overhead sprayingof the composition.

The term “effective amount” means an amount of the glyphosate compoundsufficient to result in any observable measure of disease control,prevention or treatment in a plant. Preferably, an effective amount ofglyphosate results in a concentration of glyphosate in a plant tissue ofbetween about 0.01 parts per million (ppm) to about 100 ppm per freshweight. More preferable, tissue concentrations of between 0.1 ppm and 25ppm glyphosate of fresh weight are obtained in the tissues of plantstreated in the methods of the present invention. Most preferably, tissueconcentrations of between about 0.5 ppm and about 10 ppm glyphosate areeffective in controlling, preventing or treating disease in a treatedplant.

Effective rates of application in the present invention for a glyphosatecompound can be influenced by many factors including the environment andshould be determined under actual use conditions. Preferably, thedisease control, prevention or treatment is obtained with an applicationof glyphosate at a rate similar to or less than the amount used for weedcontrol. More preferably, a rate of application of a glyphosate compoundfrom about 0.1 pounds acid equivalent/acre (lb ae/acre, herein referredto lb/acre) to about 5 lb/acre of glyphosate is effective incontrolling, preventing or treating a pathogen in accordance with themethod of the present invention. Yet more preferable are rates ofapplication ranging from about 0.37 lb/acre to about 2.5 lb/acre. Mostpreferable are rates of application of about 0.75 lb/acre, hereinreferred to as 1× glyphosate rate.

In a preferred aspect plant disease control, prevention or treatment isaccomplished by applying an effective amount of a glyphosate compositioneither pre- or post-infection, to the whole plant or a portion of theplant such as the roots, stems, foliage, fruit, seeds, tubers or bulbs,or to the media (e.g., soil, sand or water) in which the plants to beprotected are growing. In one aspect, a glyphosate is translocatedthrough the vascular system in plants and therefor the entire plant isnot required to be contacted. Thus, in one aspect a portion of a plantmay be treated with a glyphosate composition, and a disease controlled,prevented or treated in the treated portion as well as in untreatedportions of the plant, such as untreated leaves, stems, or roots. In oneparticular aspect, untreated leaves of glyphosate tolerant wheat plantshave decreased disease infection when lower leaves are treated with acomposition containing glyphosate. In a particularly preferred aspect,disease control, prevention or treatment corresponds to theconcentration of glyphosate in the tissue of the untreated leaf. Inanother aspect, a glyphosate composition can also be applied to the seedto protect the seed and seedling.

As used herein, “pre-infection” refers to a condition in which a planthas not been exposed to a plant pathogen or a material contaminated witha plant pathogen.

The term “post-infection” refers to a condition where a plant has beenexposed to a plant pathogen or a material contaminated with a plantpathogen. The plant may or may not be showing symptoms of the infection.For example, the plant may be infected with a pathogen yet not showingsigns of the infection, e.g., a hypersensitive response (HR).

Preferably, the methods of the present invention control, prevent ortreat disease in a plant through the direct action of the glyphosatecomposition on the plant pathogen. Disease control, prevention ortreatment may also be, in part, the result of systemic acquiredresistance (SAR) induced by the application of the glyphosatecomposition. In a preferred aspect, the disease control, prevention ortreatment obtained by the methods of the present invention is the resultof the direct action of the glyphosate and not the result of inducedSAR.

By “glyphosate tolerant” is meant that the plants for use in the methodsare resistant to glyphosate application or tolerant of glyphosate. In apreferred aspect of the present invention glyphosate tolerant plants arethe result of the expression of an exogenous nucleic acid moleculeproviding tolerance to glyphosate.

As such, the present invention provides methods of preventing disease ina plant by applying an effective amount of a glyphosate composition to aplant, such that infection of a plant by a pathogen is prevented. In onepreferred aspect, the plant for use in the methods is glyphosatetolerant.

By “preventing infection” is intended that the plants avoid pathogeninfection or disease symptoms or both, or exhibit reduced or minimizedpathogen infection or disease symptoms or both, that are the naturaloutcome of plant-pathogen interactions when compared to plants lackingtreatment with glyphosate compositions (or “untreated plants”). That is,pathogens are prevented or reduced from causing disease, the associateddisease symptoms or both. The methods of the invention can be utilizedto protect plants from disease, particularly those diseases that arecaused by fungal plant pathogens.

By preventing or reducing pathogen infection or the related diseasesymptoms, the infection or symptoms or both are preferably reduced atleast about 10% from a plant untreated by a glyphosate composition.Preferably, the infection, symptoms or both are prevented or reduced atleast about 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% compared to infection,symptoms or both on a plant not treated with a glyphosate composition.Disease infection may be measured by any reproducible means ofmeasurement. In one aspect, infection may be measured by countinglesions or pustules visible to the naked eye, or at a specifiedmagnification. In a preferred aspect, the specified magnification is 2×,3×, 4×, 5×, 10×, or 50×.

In a preferred aspect, the methods of the present invention provide fordisease prevention for a period of time after treatment with aglyphosate composition. Preferably, the glyphosate composition preventssevere disease of the plant for several weeks after application of theglyphosate composition. More preferably, disease is prevented at leastabout 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,30, 35 days after treatment with a glyphosate composition. In oneespecially preferred aspect, disease is prevented for at least about 40days after treatment of the plant with a glyphosate composition.Prevention of disease may be measured by any reproducible means ofmeasurement. In a preferred aspect, disease prevention is measured bycounting lesion or pustule development at time points after treatmentwith a glyphosate composition. In a preferred aspect, the lesions orpustules are counted 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,20, 25, 30 days after glyphosate treatment.

As discussed more fully below, depending on the method employed forconferring glyphosate tolerance or resistance, application of glyphosatemay prevent infection or disease for shorter or longer periods of timeafter treatment. For example, where glyphosate tolerance is imparted toa plant by an exogenous DNA encoding a polypeptide that degradesglyphosate (e.g. glyphosate oxidoreductase or glyphosate acetyltransferase), disease will be prevented for a shorter period of timecompared to a glyphosate tolerance imparted by the expression of anexogenous polypeptide that is less inhibited by glyphosate (e.g. amodified EPSPS) allowing glyphostate conservation in plant tissues.Glyphosate tolerance in plants can be achieved by the expression of amodified class I EPSPS that has lower affinity for glyphosate, however,still retains their catalytic activity in the presence of glyphosate(U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,535,060, and 6,040,497 (both of which are incorporatedby reference in their entirety)). EPSPS enzymes, such as, class IIEPSPSs have been isolated from bacteria that are naturally resistant toglyphosate and when the enzyme is expressed as a gene product of atransgene in plants provides glyphosate tolerance to the plants (U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,633,435 and 5,094,945 (both of which are incorporated byreference in their entirety)). The present invention contemplates theuse of any EPSPS enzyme, modified or naturally occurring, for example,glyphosate resistant EPSPS enzymes isolated from microbial sources thatare not Class I or Class II enzymes, and modified Class I EPSPSs(WO04/07443 (incorporated by reference in its entirety)), that haveresistance to glyphosate for use as a transgene in a transgenic plant.Such enzymes are known to those skilled in the art of making glyphosatetolerant plants.

In another aspect, application of a glyphosate composition is effectivein preventing disease or the associated symptoms at a site on the plantdistant from the point at which the glyphosate compositions are applied.In one aspect, foliar application of the glyphosate compositions iseffective in preventing pathogens from colonizing relatively distant andinaccessible regions of the plant, such as the roots and meristems. Inanother aspect, disease prevention in leaves of a plant is obtainedthrough contacting the medium in which the plant is growing. This remoteeffect occurs because the glyphosate compounds are transported in theplant vascular system, which allows for long distance transport of thecompounds within living plants. In addition, disease prevention may beenhanced by application of the glyphosate formulations through inductionof systemic acquired resistance (SAR). SAR occurs in plants in responseto infection, particularly by necrotizing pathogens, or induced bycertain compounds, and provides enhanced resistance to subsequentattacks by the same or even unrelated pathogens. SAR provides long-term(weeks to months) protection throughout the plant (systemic) against abroad range of unrelated pathogens. Examples of defense responsesinduced in plant cells include the synthesis of plant cell structuralcomponents such as cutin suberin, callose and lignin, chemical defensecompounds such as hydrogen peroxide, and anti-bacterial or anti-fungalcompounds such as tannins and phytoalexins. In a preferred aspect,disease is prevented in a plant primarily through the direction actionof glyphosate rather than through induction of SAR.

Thus, methods of preventing disease in a plant are provided where only aportion of the plant is contacted with a glyphosate composition, yetuntreated portions of the plant are also protected from disease. In oneaspect, only about 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 50%, 75% or 90% of the plant iscontacted with the glyphosate composition. The percentage of plantcontacted by the glyphosate composition may be measured by anyreproducible means of measurement.

One aspect of the present invention provides a method for the preventionof infection in a soybean, corn, rice, cotton, alfalfa, sugarbeet, orwheat plant. The method generally involves applying an effective amountof a glyphosate composition to a soybean, corn, rice, cotton, alfalfa,sugarbeet or wheat plant, or part thereof to prevent infection of theplant. In one preferred aspect, the soybean, corn, rice, cotton,alfalfa, sugarbeet, or wheat plants are glyphosate tolerant. Oneparticularly preferred aspect provides methods for preventing theinfection of soybean, corn, cotton, or wheat plants by fungal pathogens.In a preferred aspect methods for preventing infection by leaf rust oncorn, wheat and soybeans are provided. In another preferred aspectmethods for preventing infection and fungal wilt disease of cotton isprovided.

In another aspect, the methods of the present invention provide forcontrolling, preventing or treating rust disease (Phakopsora pachyrhizi)in soybean plants by application of glyphosate compositions to a soybeanplant in need of disease control, prevention or treatment. In apreferred aspect, the soybean is glyphosate tolerant.

Also provided are methods of treating a plant disease by identifying aplant infected by a plant pathogen (i.e. post-infection) and contactingthe infected plant with an effective amount of a glyphosate compositionsuch that the infection is treated. In a preferred aspect, the infectedplant is glyphosate tolerant. Infection can be measured by anyreproducible means of measurement. In one aspect, infection is measuredby counting the number of lesions visible to the naked eye, or at aspecified magnification. In a preferred aspect, the specifiedmagnification is 2×, 3×, 4×, 5×, 10× or 50×.

By “treating” a plant disease is meant that the symptoms caused by theplant pathogen are reduced or do not progress in severity. A reductionin severity means that the surface area of the leaf exhibits lessinfection or reduced symptoms (e.g., by percentage of leaf surface) onthe treated plant at a time after treatment compared to symptoms at thetime of treatment. In one aspect, infection is reduced 5%, 10%, 25%,50%, or 75% compared to an infected plant not treated with a glyphosatecomposition.

In another aspect, lesions are prevented from increasing in size orprogressing to the next level of infection or symptom. In a preferredaspect, the lesions are reduced from progressing to pustules. In oneaspect, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 99% of thelesions are prevented from becoming pustules on the leaf surface. Lesiondevelopment may be measured by any reproducible means of measurement. Inone aspect, lesion development may be measured by comparing the numberof visible pustules on a plant surface at a time after treatment withthe number of visible lesions on the plant surface at the time oftreatment with a glyphosate composition.

In addition, methods for treating infection of a plant by a plantpathogen are provided wherein a non-infected portion of the plant istreated with glyphosate. Such methods include determining that the plantis infected with a plant pathogen, then applying a compositioncontaining glyphosate to a portion of the plant that is not infectedwith the pathogen. Application of the glyphosate composition to thenon-infected area of the plant results in the treatment of infection atanother location on the plant.

The present invention also provides methods for controlling harmfulweeds and controlling, preventing or treating pathogens in a field ofglyphosate tolerant crop plants where the method uses applications ofglyphosate compositions. Such methods comprise one or more applicationsof a glyphosate composition to a field of crop plants tolerant orresistant to glyphosate, preferably two or more applications.Preferably, the application or applications are timed for effective weedcontrol and effective disease control, prevention or treatment in thetreated plant. For example, without limitation, a first application ofglyphosate is applied at a time when the application controls the weedswithin the field of plants. For example, without limitation, a secondapplication is at a time when the crop plants are either at risk ofinfection or have already been infected by a plant pathogen. In oneaspect, the application of a glyphosate composition results in aconcentration of glyphosate in a plant tissue of between about 0.01 ppmto about 100 ppm per fresh weight. More preferable, tissueconcentrations of between 0.1 ppm and 25 ppm glyphosate of fresh weightare obtained in the tissues of plants treated in the methods of thepresent invention. Most preferably, concentrations of between about 0.5ppm and about 10 ppm glyphosate are effective in controlling, preventingor treating disease in a treated plant.

Effective rates of application in the present invention for a glyphosatecomposition can be influenced by many factors including the environmentand should be determined under actual use conditions. Preferably, therate of application of a glyphosate composition from about 0.1 lb/acreto about 5 lb/acre of glyphosate is effective in controlling, preventingor treating a pathogen in accordance with a method of the presentinvention. Yet more preferable are rates of application ranging fromabout 0.37 lb/acre to about 2.5 lb/acre. Most preferable are rates ofapplication of about 0.75 lb/acre.

In one aspect, methods for controlling weeds and pathogens in a fieldcrop comprises the steps of (a) planting a crop in a field, (b)substantially freeing the field of non-crop plants by applying anherbicidal composition and (c) thereafter control, prevent or treatdisease by applying a glyphosate composition. In such a method, itshould be appreciated that the steps of planting and substantiallyfreeing can be interchanged. Thus, the field may be substantially freeof non-crop plants before planting the crop in the field. In one aspect,the application of the herbicidal composition and the disease controlglyphosate application are 1 day apart, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14,21 days apart. In another aspect, the herbicidal and pesticidalapplications are greater than 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50 daysapart.

In one aspect, the glyphosate composition is applied one or more timesduring the growing season. In another aspect, the glyphosate compositionis applied 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 times during the growing season toa plant in need of disease control, prevention or treatment.

The present invention also provides methods for increasing the yield ofa plant, by growing a plant having an exogenous nucleic acid moleculeencoding a polypeptide, where the polypeptide confers resistance toglyphosate, determining the plant is infected or is at risk of beinginfected with a plant pathogen, applying a composition comprising(comprising means “including but not limited to) glyphosate to the plantto control, prevent or treat a plant pathogen, and harvesting from theplant a tissue. In a preferred aspect, such methods increase the yieldof plant tissues including, but not limited to: seeds, fruits, kernels,bolls, tubers, roots, and leaves. In an aspect of the present invention,the yield is increased 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 50% compared toplants not treated with a glyphosate composition for disease control,prevention or treatment. In a preferred aspect, the increase in yield ismeasured relative to the dry weight of a seed or an average in theincrease in dry weight across a collection of seeds. In a preferredaspect of the present invention a collection of seeds is all, or apercentage of all, for example 25%, 50% or 75%, of the seeds on anindividual plant, a representative number of seeds from a field orplanting area subject to a method of the present invention or in thecase of a comparison not subject to a method of the present invention.In a preferred aspect, the representative number of seeds selected issufficient for a statistical analysis.

The present invention also provides a kit for the control, prevention ortreatment of plant disease, where the kit comprises a container having aglyphosate composition and instructional material for applying theglyphosate composition to control, prevent or treat a plant pathogeninfection in accordance with a method of the present invention. Theskilled artisan will appreciate that the instructions for applying theglyphosate composition in the methods of the present invention can beany form of instruction means. Such instructions include, but are notlimited to, written instruction material (such as, a label, a booklet, apamphlet), oral instructional material (such as on an audio cassette orCD) or video instructions (such as on a video tape or DVD).

II. Glyphosate Compositions

The compositions for use in the methods of the present invention includecompositions having as their effective ingredientN-phosphonomethylglycine, also referred to herein as glyphosate. Thus,the compositions for use in the methods of the present invention includeany composition containing a glyphosate compound. In particular,compositions containing a glyphosate compound and a fungicide compoundare additive or synergistic in activity against susceptible fungalpathogens. Glyphosate is an effective broad spectrum herbicide. Variousmethods are known for producing glyphosate, as shown, for example, inU.S. Pat. Nos. 3,927,080; 3,956,370; 3,969,398; 4,147,719; and 4,654,429(all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety). As usedherein, “glyphosate” refers to N-phosphonomethylglycine, a salt or esterthereof, or a compound which is converted to glyphosate in plant tissuesor which otherwise provides glyphosate ion. This includes the TMS saltof glyphosate (commercially available under the trade Touchdown™), aswell as sulfosate and its salts. In one aspect glyphosate, glyphosatesalts or both that are useful in a method of the present invention aredisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,758, herein incorporated by referencein its entirety. In another aspect many derivatives ofN-phosphonomethylglycine will exhibit broad spectrum pesticidalactivity, and thus any such pesticidal derivatives will be defined asglyphosate for the purposes of the present invention. In another aspect,any formulation of glyphosate is within the scope of the presentinvention. In one preferred aspect, the glyphosate composition comprisessalts of the cationic and anionic form of glyphosate, more preferably,the anionic form of glyphosate.

The chosen glyphosate composition is preferably applied to the plants tobe protected or treated in the form of a composition with furthercarriers, surfactants, adjuvants or other application-promotingchemicals customarily employed in formulation technology. Suitablecarriers, surfactants, and adjuvants can be solid or liquid and are thesubstances ordinarily employed in formulation technology, for example,natural or regenerated mineral substances, solvents, dispersants,wetting agents, tackifiers, thickeners, binders or fertilizers.

A preferred method of applying a glyphosate composition is applicationto the parts of the plants that are above the soil, especially to theleaves (foliar application). The frequency and rate of applicationdepend upon the biological and climatic living conditions of thepathogen. The composition can, however, also penetrate the plant throughthe roots via the soil or via the water (systemic action) if the locusof the plant is impregnated with a liquid formulation (e.g. in riceculture) or if the composition is introduced in solid form into thesoil, e.g. in the form of granules (soil application). In order to treatseed, the composition can also be applied to the seeds (coating), eitherby impregnating the tubers or grains with a liquid formulation of thecomposition, or by coating them with an already combined wet or dryformulation. In addition, in special cases, other methods of applicationto plants are possible, for example treatment directed at the buds orthe fruit trusses.

The glyphosate compositions used in the methods of the present inventioncan also be mixed with one or more other insecticides, fungicides,nematocides, bactericides, acaricides, growth regulators,chemosterilants, semiochemicals, repellents, attractants, pheromones,feeding stimulants or other biologically active compounds to form amulti-component pesticide giving an even broader spectrum ofagricultural protection. Examples of such agricultural protectants withwhich compounds of this invention can be formulated are: insecticidessuch as abamectin, acephate, azinphos-methyl, bifenthrin, buprofezin,carbofuran, chlorfenapyr, chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos-methyl, cyfluthrin,beta-cyfluthrin, cyhalothrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin,diafenthiuron, diazinon, diflubenzuron, dimethoate, esfenvalerate,fenoxycarb, fenpropathrin, fenvalerate, fipronil, flucythrinate,tau-fluvalinate, fonophos, imidacloprid, isofenphos, malathion,metaldehyde, methamidophos, methidathion, methomyl, methoprene,methoxychlor, methyl7-chloro-2,5-dihydro-2-[[N-(methoxycarbonyl)-N-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]amino]carbonyl]indeno-[1,2-e][1,3,4]oxadiazine-4a(3H)-carboxylate(DPX-JW062), monocrotophos, oxamyl, parathion, parathion-methyl,permethrin, phorate, phosalone, phosmet, phosphamidon, pirimicarb,profenofos, rotenone, sulprofos, tebufenozide, tefluthrin, terbufos,tetrachlorvinphos, thiodicarb, tralomethrin, trichlorfon andtriflumuron; most preferably a glyphosate compound is formulated with afungicide compound or combinations of fungicides, such as azoxystrobin,benomyl, blasticidin-S, Bordeaux mixture (tribasic copper sulfate),bromuconazole, captafol, captan, carbendazim, chloroneb, chlorothalonil,copper oxychloride, copper salts, cymoxanil, cyproconazole, cyprodinil(CGA 219417), diclomezine, dicloran, difenoconazole, dimethomorph,diniconazole, diniconazole-M, dodine, edifenphos, epoxiconazole (BAS480F), famoxadone, fenarimol, fenbuconazole, fenpiclonil, fenpropidin,fenpropimorph, fluazinam, fluquinconazole, flusilazole, flutolanil,flutriafol, folpet, fosetyl-aluminum, furalaxyl, hexaconazole,ipconazole, iprobenfos, iprodione, isoprothiolane, kasugamycin,kresoxim-methyl, mancozeb, maneb, mepronil, metalaxyl, metconazole,S-methyl 7-benzothiazolecarbothioate (CGA 245704), myclobutanil,neo-asozin (ferric methanearsonate), oxadixyl, penconazole, pencycuron,probenazole, prochloraz, propiconazole, pyrifenox, pyroquilon,quinoxyfen, spiroxamine (KWG4168), sulfur, tebuconazole, tetraconazole,thiabendazole, thiophanate-methyl, thiram, triadimefon, triadimenol,tricyclazole, trifloxystrobin, triticonazole, validamycin andvinclozolin; combinations of fungicides are common for example,cyproconazole and azoxystrobin, difenoconazole, and metalaxyl-M,fludioxonil and metalaxyl-M, mancozeb and metalaxyl-M, copper hydroxideand metalaxyl-M, cyprodinil and fludioxonil, cyproconazole andpropiconazole; commercially available fungicide formulations for controlof Asian soybean rust disease include, but are not limited to Quadris®(Syngenta Corp.), Bravo® (Syngenta Corp), Echo 720® (Sipcam Agro Inc),Headline® 2.09EC (BASF Corp.), Tilt® 3.6EC (Syngenta Corp), PropiMax™3.6EC (Dow AgroSciences), Bumper® 41.8EC (MakhteshimAgan), Folicur® 3.6F(Bayer CropScience), Laredo® 25EC (Dow AgroSciences), Laredo™ 25EW (DowAgroSciences), Stratego® 2.08F (Bayer Corp), Domark™ 125SL (Sipcam AgroUSA), and Pristine® WDG (BASF Corp) these can be combined withglyphosate compositions as described in the present invention to provideenhanced protection from soybean rust disease; nematocides such asaldoxycarb and fenamiphos; bactericides such as streptomycin; acaricidessuch as amitraz, chinomethionat, chlorobenzilate, cyhexatin, dicofol,dienochlor, etoxazole, fenazaquin, fenbutatin oxide, fenpropathrin,fenpyroximate, hexythiazox, propargite, pyridaben and tebufenpyrad; andbiological agents such as Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus thuringiensisdelta endotoxin, baculovirus, and entomopathogenic bacteria, virus andfungi.

The triazoles and strobilurins are particular effective andenvironmental safe fungicides. The mid-seventies saw the introduction ofthe fungicide group DMI or demethylation inhibitors, which contain thetriazole fungicides. The triazole fungicides have been the mainstay ofcereal disease control since then. The first of these to appear wastriadimefon (Bayleton) and there have been new triazoles appearing on aregular basis for example, popinconazole, tebuconazole, myclobutanil andepoxiconazole. The triazoles are active against a wide range of foliardiseases and were used alone or in mixtures with non-systemic fungicidesand also with the systemic morpholine group of fungicides. Over thetwenty-five years since triadimefon was introduced some of the triazoleshave disappeared from the marketplace as resistance to them developedand they no longer provided any benefit or advantage to control fungaldiseases. Therefore, the present invention contemplates a triazole typefungicide alone or in combination with one or more fungicides with adifferent mode of action in an admixture with glyphosate. The mode ofaction of glyphosate is to inhibit the EPSPS enzyme, a mixture ofglyphosate and a triazole can provide a means to prevent or reduce thedevelopment of resistance to the fungicide by providing compounds withdifferent modes of action, hence lengthening the utility of thefungicide for use in crop production. Both glyphosate and a triazoleprovide systemic fungal disease control when applied together orsequentially. The present invention contemplates a method for reducingfungal resistance to a triazole fungicide by combining in an admixture aglyphosate compound and a triazole fungicide compound and treating aglyphosate tolerant plant with the admixture.

A new group of fungicides the STAR or strobilurin type fungicides, wereintroduced in 1997 with azoxystrobin (Amistar). This was followed bykresoxim-methyl/epoxiconazole (Allegro) and trifloxystrobin (Twist) andfamoxadone/flusilazole (Charisma), which is a non-strobilurin but has astrobilurin type action. Strobilurin type fungicides are based onnatural antifungal compounds, which some forest wood decaying mushroomssecrete to inhibit competitor fungi. They have a novel mode of action tothat of the other groups of fungicide products. They are also very safefrom an environmental point of view. Various formulations and fungicidemixtures are commercially available Acanto® (Syngenta Corp) is availableas a straight strobilurin (picoxystrobin), Modem® is another straightstrobilurin (pyraclostrobin). Quadris® azoxystrobin, Headline®pyraclostrobin, and pyraclostrobin plus boscalid are commerciallyavailable fungicide formulations. Straight strobilurins need anon-strobilurin partner in all situations. Opera (BASF Corp) is apre-formulated mixture of pyraclostrobin and epoxiconazole, Stratego®(Bayer CropScience) fungicide is a mixture of trifloxystrobin andpropiconazole, and Covershield® (BASF Corp) is a three-way mixture ofpyraclostrobin, epoxiconazole and kresoxim-methyl. The mode of action ofglyphosate is to systemically inhibit the EPSPS enzyme, a mixture ofglyphosate and a systemic strobilurin type fungicide or fungicidemixture containing a strobilurin as described, can provide a means toprevent or reduce fungal disease and development of fungal resistance tothe fungicide, hence lengthening the utility of the fungicide for cropproduction. Therefore, the present invention contemplates a strobilurintype fungicide alone or in combination with one or more fungicides witha different mode of action in an admixture with glyphosate. The presentinvention contemplates a method for reducing fungal resistance to astrobilurin fungicide by combining in an admixture a glyphosate compoundand a strobilurin fungicide compound and treating a glyphosate tolerantplant with the admixture.

The chloronitriles class of fungicides, for example, chlorthalonil andchloronil are contact fungicides that are effective in preventing sporegermination and reducing hyphal growth. It is contemplated thatglyphosate in an admixture with a chloronitrile fungicide will beeffective in preventing significant fungal infection and diseasesymptoms when applied to glyphosate tolerant plants. The carboxamidesclass fungicides, for example, boscalid, are also contact fungicides forwhich it is contemplated that glyphosate in an admixture with acarboxamide fungicide will be effective in preventing significant fungalinfection and disease symptoms when applied to glyphosate tolerantplants. Contact fungicides provide a protective effect to plant surfacesto inhibit spore germination or hyphal growth, the added glyphosateprovides an additional systemic protective effect to inhibit hyphalgrowth within the plant tissues.

The selection of application rates that are effective for a specificplant pathogen is within the skill of the ordinary agriculturalscientist. Those of skill in the art will likewise recognize thatindividual plant conditions, weather and growing conditions, as well asthe specific pathogen and glyphosate composition selected, willinfluence the degree of biological effectiveness achieved in practicingthis invention. Useful application rates for the glyphosate compositionsemployed can depend upon all of the above conditions. Preferably, theapplication rate will result in a concentration of glyphosate in a planttissue of between about 0.01 ppm to about 100 ppm per fresh weight. Morepreferable, tissue concentrations of between 0.1 ppm and 25 ppmglyphosate of fresh weight are obtained in the tissues of plants treatedin the methods of the present invention. Most preferably, concentrationsof between about 0.1 ppm and about 10 ppm or 0.5 ppm and about 10 ppmglyphosate are effective in controlling, preventing or treating diseasein a treated plant. Table 1 shows glyphosate residue analysis observedin different glyphosate tolerant crop plants (RR, Round Ready®,registered trademark of Monsanto Co.) at different application doserates, number of treatments (Trt) and developmental stage of the plantwhen the glyphosate was applied (R1 in soybean is first flowering, PH isxxx; in corn V4 and V8 are number of leaves; in cotton OT is PD is andPH is; in rice If is leaf, pan ini is panicle initiation and PH is, inwheat lf is leaf, preboot is before the head emerges, and sugarbeet lfis leaf) and the tissues that were analyzed and the amount of glyphosatedetected (Gly (ppm)). TABLE 1 Glyphosate residue analysis in glyphosatetolerant crops Trt tissue Gly (ppm) RR soybean 3 × 0.75 lb, V3/R1/PHforage 7.60 hay 1.30 seed 0.80 RR corn 2 × 0.75 lb, V4/V8 forage 0.73(GA21) grain 0.07 stover 1.30 RR cotton 3 × 1.5 lb, OT/PD/PH seed 1.60RR canola 0.8 lb seed 0.02 RR rice 1.5 lb 5 lf grain 0.05 straw 0.05 2 ×1.12 lb, 5 lf/pan ini grain 3.00 straw 3.10 3 × 1.12 lb, 5 lf/pan ini/PHgrain 14.80 straw 6.90 RR wheat 0.75 lb, 4 lf forage 2.30 hay 1.20 grain0.50 straw 0.50 2 × 0.75 lb, 4 lf/Preboot forage 2.60 hay 13.00 grain7.50 straw 5.30 RR sugarbeet 3 × 0.75 lb, 2 lf/6 lf/12 lf tops 0.40 beet0.50 3 × 0.75, tops 4.30 2 lf/12 lf/12 lf + 30 d beet 6.60 RR potato 2 ×1.5 lb, 2 lf/row closure tubers 4.10 3 × 1.5 lb, 2 lf/row clo/PH tubers8.60

In one aspect, a rate of application of a composition from about 0.1lb/acre to about 5 lb/acre of glyphosate is effective in controlling,preventing or treating a pathogen in accordance with a method of thepresent invention. Yet more preferable are rates of application rangingfrom about 0.5 lb/acre to about 2.5 lb/acre. Most preferable are ratesof application of about 0.75 lb/acre. When glyphosate is used inmixtures with fungicides or as sequential applications of glyphosate andthe fungicide, the rates may be reduced in order to achieve the mostefficient ratio of an effective concentration of glyphosate and thefungicide to provide a cost effective disease control mixture. Thepresent invention demonstrates that application of glyphosate and afungicide provides a synergistic benefit. A 1× rate of glyphosate (0.75lb/acre) followed by a 0.5× rate of a fungicide compound as shown inTable 3 in Example 8 will provide equivalent or enhanced fungal diseasecontrol as compared to a 2× rate of glyphosate or a 1× rate of afungicide. It is contemplated that further reductions in applicationrates using a glyphosate and fungicide admixture will be effective tocontrol fungal diseases. For example, a 1× rate of glyphosate mixed witha 0.4× rate of fungicide, or 0.3×, or 0.2×, or 0.1× rate or rates inbetween may be cost effective for the economic control of fungaldiseases. Additionally, a reduced rate of glyphosate in the mixture mayalso provide effective and cost efficient control of fungal diseases,for example, a 0.75× rate of glyphosate with a 0.5× rate of a fungicide,or a 0.5× rate of glyphosate with a 0.5× rate of fungicide, or a 0.25×rate of glyphosate with a 0.5× rate of fungicide, or a 0.1× rate ofglyphosate with a 0.5× rate of fungicide. A ratio of 0.1× glyphosate and0.1× fungicide in an admixture is contemplated in the present invention,the exact ratio can be determined by the effective amount of eachcompound that is delivered to the diseased or disease susceptible planttissues and by those skilled in the art of chemical formulation andapplication for the control of fungal diseases of plants.

Application of glyphosate compositions to foliage of plants ispreferably accomplished by spraying, using any conventional means forspraying liquids, such as spray nozzles or spinning-disk atomizers.Compositions of the present invention can be used in precision farmingtechniques, in which apparatus is employed to vary the amount ofexogenous chemical substance applied to different parts of a field,depending on variables such as the particular plant species present,plant growth stage, soil moisture status, etc. In one aspect of suchtechniques, a global positioning system operated with the sprayingapparatus can be used to control application of the composition indesired amounts to different parts of a field.

A glyphosate composition is preferably dilute enough to be readilysprayed using standard agricultural spray equipment. Suitableapplication rates for the present invention vary depending upon a numberof factors, including the type and concentration of active ingredientand the plant species involved. Useful rates for applying an aqueouscomposition to a field of foliage can range from about 25 to about 1,000liters per hectare (l/ha), preferably about 50 to about 300 l/ha, byspray application.

III. Plants

In one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for theapplication of a glyphosate composition for disease control, preventionor treatment results in decreased need for fungicide treatment of plantsor plant parts, thus lowering costs of material, labor, andenvironmental pollution, or prolonging shelf-life of products (e.g.fruit, seed, and the like) of such plants. In a preferred aspect of themethod the glyphosate composition further comprises a fungicidecompound. The term “plant” includes whole plants and parts thereof,including, but not limited to, shoot vegetative organs/structures (e.g.,leaves, stems and tubers), roots, flowers and floral organs/structures(e.g., bracts, sepals, petals, stamens, carpels, anthers and ovules),seed (including embryo, endosperm, and seed coat) and fruit (the matureovary), plant tissue (e.g., vascular tissue, ground tissue, and thelike) and cells (e.g., guard cells, egg cells, and the like), andprogeny of same. The class of plants that can be used in a method of theinvention includes the class of higher and lower plants, includingangiosperms (monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants), gymnosperms,ferns, horsetails, psilophytes, lycophytes, bryophytes, andmulticellular algae. Preferably, plants for use in the methods of thepresent invention include any vascular plant, for example monocotyledonsor dicotyledons or gymnosperms, including, but not limited to alfalfa,apple, Arabidopsis, banana, barley, canola, castor bean, chrysanthemum,clover, cocoa, coffee, cotton, cottonseed, corn, crambe, cranberry,cucumber, dendrobium, dioscorea, eucalyptus, fescue, flax, gladiolus,liliacea, linseed, millet, muskmelon, mustard, oat, oil palm, oilseedrape, papaya, peanut, pineapple, ornamental plants, Phaseolus, potato,rapeseed, rice, rye, ryegrass, safflower, sesame, sorghum, soybean,sugarbeet, sugarcane, sunflower, strawberry, tobacco, tomato, turfgrass,wheat and vegetable crops such as lettuce, celery, broccoli,cauliflower, cucurbits; fruit and nut trees, such as apple, pear, peach,orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, almond, pecan, walnut, hazel; vines,such as grapes, kiwi, hops; fruit shrubs and brambles, such asraspberry, blackberry, gooseberry; forest trees, such as ash, pine, fir,maple, oak, chestnut, popular; with alfalfa, canola, castor bean, corn,cotton, crambe, flax, linseed, mustard, oil palm, oilseed rape, peanut,potato, rice, safflower, sesame, soybean, sugarbeet, sunflower, tobacco,tomato, and wheat preferred. More preferably, plants for use in themethods of the present invention include any crop plant, for example,forage crop, oilseed crop, grain crop, fruit crop, vegetable crop, fibercrop, spice crop, nut crop, turf crop, sugar crop, beverage crop, andforest crop. In a highly preferred aspect, the crop plant used in amethod is a soybean plant. In another highly preferred aspect, the cropplant is wheat. In another highly preferred aspect, the crop plant iscorn. In another highly preferred aspect, the crop plant is cotton. Inanother highly preferred aspect, the crop plant is alfalfa. In anotherhighly preferred aspect, the crop plant is sugarbeet. In another highlypreferred aspect, the crop plant is rice. In another highly preferredaspect, the crop plant is potato. In another highly preferred aspect,the crop plant is tomato.

In a preferred aspect, the methods use plants that are tolerant toglyphosate. Such plants include crop plants that have been modified tobe tolerant of glyphosate. Such plants may be modified throughtraditional breeding techniques, or modern breeding techniques such asgenetic engineering. In one preferred aspect of the present invention,the plants used in the methods are transgenic plants expressing genesproviding tolerance to glyphosate. Glyphosate tolerance may be impartedto plant species by recombinant DNA techniques that are described in theart (as described for example by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,312,910; 5,310,667;5,463,175 (all of which are incorporated by reference in theirentirety)). Preferably, glyphosate tolerance is brought about byinserting a gene encoding a modified or naturally occurring5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) enzyme into thegenome of a plant. A modified EPSPS imparts glyphosate tolerance to aplant by being less inhibited by glyphosate than is the EPSPS native tothe plant. The source of the gene encoding modified EPSPS may be abacterial strain that has naturally developed an EPSPS resistant toglyphosate, a synthesized double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid designedto encode a modified EPSPS, or any other source.

For example, a gene for EPSP synthase has been isolated fromAgrobacterium tumefaciens strain CP4, having lower susceptibility toglyphosate (U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,435 (incorporated by reference in itsentirety)) and when expressed as a transgene in plants confers a highlevel of glyphosate tolerance to the plants. In addition, other EPSPSvariants that have lower affinity for glyphosate and therefore retaintheir catalytic activity in the presence of glyphosate have also beendescribed (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,940,835, and 5,094,945 (both of which areincorporated by reference in their entirety)). These variants typicallyhave a higher Ki for glyphosate than the wild-type EPSPS enzyme whichconfers the glyphosate tolerant phenotype, but these variants can alsobe characterized by a high Km for PEP which makes the enzyme kineticallyless efficient (Kishore and Shah, Ann. Rev. Biochem. (1988) 57:627-663;Sost et al., FEBS Lett. (1984) 173:238-241; Shulze et al., Arch.Microbiol. (1984) 137:121-123; Kishore et al., Fed. Proc. (1986)45:1506; Sost and Amrhein, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. (1990) 282:433-436).Furthermore, high levels of glyphosate tolerance has been achieved in anumber of crop plants by fusing EPSPS to a chloroplast transit peptide(CTP) for targeted expression in plastids. Glyphosate tolerance can alsobe achieved in plants through inserting into the plant genome a DNAmolecule that causes the production of higher levels of wild-type EPSPS(Shah et al., Science 233:478-481 (1986). Particularly preferred methodsfor achieving glyphosate tolerance in the methods of the presentinvention involve genes that allow for the conservation of glyphosate inthe plant tissue that is affected by the plant pathogen.

Lines of transgenic glyphosate tolerant crop plants contemplated for usein the methods of the present invention include corn, cotton, soybean,sugarbeet, alfalfa, wheat, among others, that express a gene impartingglyphosate tolerance have been commercialized or are currently incommercial stages of development, for example, Roundup Ready® Cotton1445 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,740,488 (incorporated by reference in itsentirety)), Roundup Ready® corn GA21 and nk603 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,825,400(incorporated by reference in its entirety)), and Roundup Ready®Sugarbeet (U.S. Patent Pub 20040172669A1 (incorporated by reference inits entirety)), Roundup Ready® Canola RT73 (U.S. 20040018518A1(incorporated by reference in its entirety)), and Roundup Ready® Soybean40-3-2. Additional Roundup Ready® crops underdevelopment by Monsanto Co,St Louis, Mo. include wheat MON71800 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,880(incorporated by reference in its entirety)), enhanced Roundup Ready®cotton 88913 (WO 04/072235 (incorporated by reference in its entirety)),Roundup Ready® alfalfa J-101 and J-163 (WO 04/070020 (incorporated byreference in its entirety)), and ASR368 bentgrass (WO 04/053062(incorporated by reference in its entirety)). Production of transgeniclines of other plant species expressing a glyphosate-tolerance gene maybe produced by techniques known in the art. See, e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos.5,312,910; 5,310,667; 5,463,175 (all of which are herein incorporated byreference in their entirety).

A “transgenic plant” refers to a plant that contains genetic materialnot found (i.e. “exogenous”) in a wild-type plant of the same species,variety or cultivar. The genetic material may include a transgene, aninsertional mutagenesis event (such as by transposon or T-DNAinsertional mutagenesis), an activation tagging sequence, a mutatedsequence, a homologous recombination event or a sequence modified bychimeraplasty. Typically, the foreign genetic material has beenintroduced into the plant by human manipulation, but any method can beused as one of skill in the art recognizes.

A transgenic plant may contain an expression vector or cassette. Theexpression cassette typically comprises a polypeptide-encoding sequenceoperably linked (i.e., under regulatory control of) to appropriateinducible or constitutive regulatory sequences that allow for theexpression of the polypeptide. The expression cassette can be introducedinto a plant by transformation or by breeding after transformation of aparent plant. As previously described a plant refers to a whole plant,including seedlings and mature plants, as well as to a plant part, suchas seed, fruit, leaf, or root, plant tissue, plant cells or any otherplant material, e.g., a plant explant, as well as to progeny thereof,and to in vitro systems that mimic biochemical or cellular components orprocesses in a cell.

The plant or plant part for use in the present invention include plantsof any stage of plant development. Preferably, the application occursduring the stages of germination, seedling growth, vegetative growth,and reproductive growth. More preferably, applications of the presentinvention occur during vegetative and reproductive growth stages. Thestages of vegetative and reproductive growth are also referred to hereinas “adult” or “mature” plants.

IV. Pathogens

The methods of the present invention find use in the control, preventionor treatment of a wide variety of plant pathogens. The methods of thepresent invention include prophylactic inhibition and therapeutictreatment of infection by plant pathogens. Preferably, the methods ofthe present invention inhibit or treat plant pathogenic fungi andbacteria. The plant pathogens inhibited in the methods of the presentinvention preferably include those that produce aromatic amino acids,such as phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, through the shikimatebiosynthetic pathway. Combinations of glyphosate and chemical inhibitorsof enzymes that metabolize glyphosate, metabolize or oxidize shikimateor 3-phosphoshikimate (for example, quinate-shikimate dehydrogenase), orprevent plant pathogens from sequestering glyphosate can function tobroaden the spectrum of plant pathogens that are susceptible toinhibition by glyphosate. Plant pathogens can be classified by theirlife cycle in relation to a plant host, these classifications include,obligatge parasites, facultative parasites, and facultative saprophytes.Obligate parasites can only survive and reproduce by obtaining nutritionfrom living plant cells and are in direct contact with these cells,examples of obligate fungal parasites of plants include, but are notlimited to members of Uredinales (rusts), Ustilaginales (smuts andbunts), Erysiphales (powdery mildews), and Oomycetes (water molds anddowny mildews). Facultative parasites are organisms that generallysurvive as saprophytes on the products of other organisms or deadorganisms but can become parasitic when the conditions are favorable.Facultative saprophytes are organisms that generally survive asparasites of plants but can survive as saprophytes when a susceptibleplant host is not available.

The method of the present invention can be used to control, prevent ortreat infection from a wide array of plant pathogens that includeobligate parasites, facultative parasites, and facultative saprophytes,which include, but are not limited to the following: Ascomycete fungisuch as of the genera Venturia, Podosphaera, Erysiphe, Monolinia,Mycosphaerella, and Uncinula; Basidiomycete fungi such as from thegenera Hemileia, Rhizoctonia, and Puccinia; Fungi imperfecti such as thegenera Botrytis, Helminthosporium, Rhynchosporium, Fusarium (i.e., F.monoliforme), Septoria, Cercospora, Alternaria, Pyricularia, andPseudocercosporella (i.e., P. herpotrichoides); Oomycete fungi such asfrom the genera Phytophthora (i.e., P. parasitica. P. medicaginis, P.megasperma), Peronospora (i.e, P. tabacina), Bremia, Pythium, andPlasmopara; as well as other fungi such as Scleropthora macrospora,Sclerophthora rayissiae, Sclerospora graminicola, Peronosclerosporasorghi, Peronosclerospora philippinensis, Peronosclerospora sacchari andPeronosclerospora maydis, Physopella zeae, Cercospora zeae-maydis,Colletotrichum graminicola, Gibberella zeae, Exserohilum turcicum,Kabatiellu zeae, and Bipolaris maydis; and bacteria such as Pseudomonassyringae, Pseudomonas tabaci, and Erwinia stewartii; and mycoplasma,mycoplasma-like, rickettsia and rickettsia-like organisms, for examplePierce's disease, Alfalfa Dwarf, Phony Peach disease, Aster Yellowsdisease, Peach X-disease, corn stunt, and Peach Yellow disease.Particularly preferred pathogens include, but are not limited to:Puccinia, Rhizoctonia, GGT, stripe rust, Asian soybean rust (Phakopsorapachyrhizi), Fusarium species, Verticillium species, gray leaf spot,Phytophthora species and corn rust.

Thus, the diseases controlled, prevented or treated include, forexample, diseases of alfalfa plants such as root rot (Phytophoramedicaginis, P. megasperma); rice plant such as rice blast (Pyriculariaoryzae), Helminthosporium leaf blight (Helminthosporium oryzae,Cochliobolus miyabeanus), Bakanae disease (Gibberella fujikuroi),seedling blight (Rhizopus oryzae), sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani),and so on, those of oat such as crown rust (Puccinia coronata), and soon, those of barley such as powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis), scald(Rhynchsporium secalis), spot-blotch (Cochliobolus sativus), yellowmottleleaf (Helminthosporium gramineum, Pyrenophora gramineum), netblotch (Pyrenophra teres), stinking smut (Tilletia caries), loose smut(Ustilago nuda), and so on, those of wheat such as powdery mildew(Erysiphe graminis), glume-blotch (Leptosphaeria nodorum, Septorianodorum), stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis), Typhula snow blight(Typhula incarnata), eye spot (Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides),snow mold (Calonectria graminicola, Fusarium nivale), stem rust(Puccinia graminis), black snow blight (Typhula ishikariensis), scab(Gibberella zeae), leaf rust (Puccinia recondita, Puccinia triticina),stripe (Helminthosporium gramineum), stinking smut (Tilletia caries),speckled leaf blight (Septoria tritici), loose smut (Ustilago tritici),and so on, those of corn such as damping-off (Pythium debaryanum), andso on, those of rye such as purple snow mold (Fusarium nivale), and soon, those of potato such as late blight (Phytophthora infestans), and soon, those of tabacco plant such as downy mildew (Peronospora tabacina),foot rot (Phytophthora parasitica var), septoria blight (Cercosporanicotianae), mosaic disease (tobacco mosaic virus), and so on, those ofsugar beet such as leaf spot (Cercospora beticola), damping-off (Pythiumdebaryanum, Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium aphanidermatum), and so on,those of paprika such as gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), and so on, thoseof kidney bean such as gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), sclerotinia seedrot (sclerotial rot) (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum), southern blight(Corticium rolfsii), and so on, those of broad bean such as powderymildew (Erysiphe polygoni, Sphaerotheca fuliginea), rust (Uromycesfabae, Uromyces phaseoli), gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), and so on,those of peanut such as Ascochyta spot (Mycosphaerella arachidicola),and so on, those of cabbage such as damping blight (Rhizoctonia solani),and so on, those of cucumber such as powdery mildew (Sphaerothecafuliginea), stem rot (Fusarium oxysporum), gummy stem blight(Mycosphaerella melonis), downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis),gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), sclerotial seed rot (Sclerotiniasclerotiorum), anthracnose (Colletotrichum lagenarium), damping blight(Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium aphanidermatum, Rhizoctonia solani), mosaicdisease (Cucumber mosaic virus), and so on, those of KOMATSUNA such asAlternaria sooty spot (Alternaria brassicicola), club root(Plasmodiophora brassicae), and so on, those of celery such as speckledleaf blotch (Septoria apii), and soon, those of radish such as yellows(Fusarium oxysporum), and so on, those of tomato such as Fusarium wilt(Fusarium oxysporum), foot rot (Phytophthora infestans), ring leaf-spot(Alternaria solani), gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), leaf blight(Phytophthora capsici), black rot (Alternaria tomato), and so on, thoseof eggplant such as brown rot (Phytophthora capsici), vascular wiltpathogens, e.g. Verticillium wilt (Verticillium albo-atrum. V. dahliae),and so on, those of Chinese cabbage such as black rot (Alternariajaponica), club root (Plasmodiophora brassicae), and so on, those ofsweet pepper such as foot rot (Phytophthora capsici), gray mold(Botrytis cinerea), and so on, those of lettuce such as gray mold(Botrytis cinerea), and so on, those of citrus fruits such as pod andstem blight (Diaporthe citri), and so on, those of pear such as scab(Venturia nashicola), black rot (Alternaria kikuchiana), brown-spot(Gymnosporangium haraeanum), and so on, those of grape such as downymildew (Plasmopara viticola), gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), Sphacelomascab (Elsinoe ampelina), and so on, those of peach such as leaf curl(Taphrina deformans), shot hole (Mycosphaerella cerasella), and so on,those of apple such as powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotria), scab(Cladsporium carpophilum), gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), black rot(Venturia inaegualis), brown spot (Gymnosporangium yamadae), white rootrot (Rosellinia nectrix), Alternaria leaf spot (Alternaria mali), and soon, and other deseases of grains, fruits and vegetables such as oil-seedrape, sunflower, carrot, pepper, strawberry, melon, kiwi fruit, onion,leek, sweet potato, fig, ume, asparagus, persimmon, soybean, adzukibean,watermelon, crown daisy, spinach, tea and so on. Thus, compound(I.sup.0) or salts thereof show high activities against deseases causedby microorganisms of, especially, the genus Pyricularia, Cochliobolus,Curvularia, Pyrenophora, Alternaria, and others akin to them. Examplesof diseases caused by those microbes, include rice blast,Helminthosporium leaf spot, and discolored rice grains of rice plant,spot-blotch, stripe, and net blotch of barley, stripe and spot-blotch ofwheat, Helminthosporium leaf spot of corn, early blight of potato,Alternaria sooty spot of HAKUSAI, ring leaf-spot and black rot oftomato, black rot of Chinese cabbage, black rot of pear, and Alternarialeaf spot of apple, and so on. Not all plant pathogens will be equallysusceptible to the inhibitory effects of the current formulations ofglyphosate compositions. It has been observed in the present inventionthat differences exist in the current commercially availableformulations in there effects on plant disease. For example, FIG. 2compares Roundup WeatherMAX® (Monsanto Co. St Louis, Mo.) and Touchdown™IQ (Syngenta Corp) glyphosate formulations, the results demonstrate thatWeatherMAX® provides superior disease control over Touchdown™.WeatherMAX® has been specifically formulated to provide rapid uptake ofglyphosate into plant tissues. Plant pathogens that are in contact withplant cells and tissues (for example, vascular tissue) and exchangechemicals with the plant cells or tissues will be more effectivelysuppressed if the glyphosate applied to the plant is more rapidlyabsorbed and translocated to the sites of pathogen infection. It iscontemplated by the inventors that improvements can be made to thecurrent formulations to provide a glyphosate composition specificallyformulated for use in pathogen control on glyphosate tolerant plants.Current formulations have been designed for the uptake in weed species,generally for treatment of weed seedlings and weeds in a rapid growthstage. It is contemplated that glyphosate formulations for diseasecontrol will be applied to the crop plant at a later growth stage, forexample, when the plant is flowering or in the process of producingseeds or fruit, it is at these stages of development that plant diseasescan have the greatest effect on crop yield. Leaves are the sourcetissues that provide the products of photosynthesis needed for plantgrowth, seed, fruit and storage organ development. Protecting theseleaves from disease due to fungal infection is important to protectyield of the crop. The flag leaf of monocot crops contributessubstantially to the yield of the crop, protecting this leaf fromdisease is particularly important in protecting monocot crop yield.Leaves of dicot crops generally provide the products of photosynthesisto the closely associated fruiting structures of the plant, protectingthese leaves from disease is particularly important in protecting dicotcrop yields. Roots provide water and mineral nutrients to the plants,protecting roots from disease is also particularly important inmaintaining yield of the crop plant. Enhanced formulations for systemic(includes both locally systemic and whole plant systemic) uptake mayinclude the addition of adjuvants, for example, alkoxylated fattyamines, organosilicones, nonyl phenol ethylene oxide condensate, andothers known in the art. Examples of suitable adjuvants that enhance theuptake and efficacy of glyphosate include polyoxyalkylene alkylamines,polyoxyalkylene alkylammonium salts, polyoxyalkylene alkylamine oxides,polyoxyalkylene tertiary and quaternary etheramines, polyoxyalkyleneetheramine oxides, mono- and di- (polyoxyalkylene alcohol) phosphates,polyoxyalkylene alkylethers and combinations thereof. Preferredadjuvants are polyoxyethylene coco and tallow amines, polyoxyethyleneC₈₋₁₈ alkyl oxypropyl amines, polyoxyethylene C₁₆₋₂₂ alkylethers andcombinations thereof. Examples of these adjuvants can be found in U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,668,085, 5,683,958, 5,703,015, 6,063,733, 6,121,199,6,121,200, 6,184,182, 6,245,713, 6,365,551, RE37,866 and U.S. PatentApplication Pub. No. U.S. 2003/0104943 A1 (all of which are hereinincorporated by reference in their entirety).

It is further contemplated that glyphosate formulations withcombinations of surfactants that provide greater contact with the plantpathogen on a leaf surface by retaining and spreading the glyphosateonto the leaf surface will also enhance the glyphosate effect on thepathogen. These formulations provide surfactants for the spread of theglyphosate composition across the leaf surface and enhance the contactand uptake of glyphosate into a fungal spore or hyphae, so that when apathogen contacts a leaf surface so treated, it will also contact theglyphosate. Additionally, surfactants used in contact fungicides mayenhance the uptake of glyphosate into the fungal cell when theformulation is in contact with a fungal spore or hyphae.

Disease resistance evaluation can be performed by methods known in theart. See, Uknes et al, (1993) Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions 6:680-685; Gorlach et al., (1996) Plant Cell 8:629-643; Alexander et al.,Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90: 7327-7331 (1993). The skilled artisanwill recognize that methods for determining plant infection and diseaseby a plant pathogen depends on the pathogen and plant being tested.

The following examples are included to demonstrate aspects of theinvention. It should be appreciated by those of skill in the art thatthe techniques disclosed in the examples which follow representtechniques discovered by the inventors to function well in the practiceof the invention, and thus can be considered to constitute preferredmodes for its practice. However, those of skill in the art should, inlight of the present disclosure, appreciate that many changes can bemade in the specific aspects which are disclosed and still obtain a likeor similar result without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

EXAMPLES Example 1 In vitro Effects of Glyphosate on Plant Pathogens

In vitro screens identified glyphosate as a very weak fungicide againsta series of pathogenic organisms. Table 2 shows that when various fungalplant pathogens are grown on growth media containing variousconcentrations of glyphosate to measure EC₉₀ concentrations (theconcentration for 90% of maximal effect of, e.g., inhibiting fungal cellproliferation or statistically reducing the level fungal growth). Thesedata demonstrate a high concentration of glyphosate is required toinhibit fugal growth in vitro. It was therefore a surprising result whenit was observed that glyphosate tolerant plants when treated withglyphosate showed resistance to fungal disease. The glyphosate residueanalysis shown in Table 1 would have suggested that the levels ofglyphosate in the plant tissues to be too low for effective inhibitionof fungal pathogens. The susceptibility of fungal pathogens toglyphosate effects may change when the pathogen is in contact with plantcells. The chemical exchange that occurs between a fungal pathogen andthe host plant cell allows for the importation of glyphosate into thefungal cell that is not evident in an in vitro assay. TABLE 2 In vitroeffects of glyphosate on fungal cell growth Fungus In vitro EC₉₀, ppmCrop of interest Septoria <100 Wheat Pseudocercosporella <100 WheatBotrytis <100 Veg/strawberry Phytophthora 1000 Potato/soy Rhizoctonia1000 Wheat/potato Fusarium 1000 Wheat/potato Gaeumannomyces 1000 WheatPuccinia 5000 Wheat Pyricularia 5000 Rice

Example 2 Disease Treatment in Glyphosate Tolerant Wheat

Compositions of water, surfactant (a 0.1% solution), glyphosateformulations (WeatherMAX® (glyphosate-K salt), UltraMAX® (glyphosate-IPAsalt), or a glyphosate composition without surfactant (IPA-salt) areapplied to glyphosate tolerant wheat plants at different growth stagesthat have been previously inoculated with leaf rust (Puccinia triticina)to test for disease control. Three, five and seven-leaf stage wheatplants are inoculated with Puccinia triticina spores and incubated toallow for spore germination.

Plants are evaluated for disease at one day after treatment (1DAT) withthe above compositions. In addition, wheat plants at the 5 leaf stageare used as an untreated control.

All eleven (11) untreated wheat plants exhibited significant leaf rustsymptoms. Seven out of eight water-treated wheat plants (3-leaf stage)showed disease symptoms. Similarly, surfactant-treated plants at the 3leaf and 7 leaf stages exhibited nearly complete disease infection. Sixout of eight 3-leaf stage wheat plants showed disease symptoms at 1DAT,while all four 7-leaf stage wheat plants showed disease symptoms.

In contrast, plants treated with glyphosate compositions demonstratedsubstantially total disease control. Disease treatment was achievedusing an application rate of 1× (equals 0.75 lb/acre through the 5^(th)leaf). In wheat plants at the 5-leaf stage treated with a 1× glyphosatecomposition (Roundup WeatherMAX® formulation), none of the 11 treatedplants showed disease symptoms. In 3-leaf stage plants, none of the 8inoculated plants showed disease symptoms and none of the 4 inoculated7-leaf stage plants showed signs of infection after treatment with a 1×Roundup WeatherMAX® application.

These results demonstrate that glyphosate compositions can be used totreat fungal infection, such as leaf rust, in glyphosate-tolerant wheatplants.

Example 3 Correlation of Tissue Glyphosate Concentration and DiseasePrevention

To determine the correlation between glyphosate concentration in planttissue and disease control, glyphosate tolerant wheat plants are treatedwith glyphosate compositions prior to inoculation with Puccinia spores.Four different regimens are employed. First, whole plants, either 3-leafor 5-leaf stage, are treated with a 1× spray of WeatherMAX Roundup®glyphosate composition. A single mature leaf from each treated plant isinoculated with Puccinia spores either 1 day or 14 days after glyphosateapplication. The inoculated plants are then incubated for 24 hours at100% relative humidity for germination of the spores. Twelve days afterinoculation, disease conditions are evaluated and concentrations ofglyphosate in the plant tissue is quantitated. Disease conditions areevaluated macroscopically for pustule development and lesiondevelopment.

Disease symptoms were prevented in inoculations both at 1 day afterglyphosate treatment and 14 days after treatment. FIG. 1 shows thatcontrol plants not treated with glyphosate demonstrated about 25% toabout 30% pustule development 12 days after inoculation. In contrast,plants treated with glyphosate showed less than 1% pustule development12 days after inoculation.

Furthermore, disease prevention directly correlates with tissueglyphosate concentrations. For example, lesion and pustule developmentare prevented at tissue concentrations of glyphosate of 20 to 80 ppm,while pustule development is prevented by as low as about 10 ppmglyphosate. Autoradiograms of leaves treated with 14C-glyphosateconfirmed that glyphosate concentrations are uniformly distributedthroughout the inoculated leaf.

Example 4 Comparison of Roundup® WeatherMAX Formulation to Touchdown™ IQFormulation

Various formulations of glyphosate are commercially available. Theinventors contemplated that these formulations may vary in their abilityto affect fungal disease development. The results of a comparison ofWeatherMAX® and Touchdown™ IQ performed on Roundup Ready wheat tocontrol wheat leaf rust either as a preventative or curative applicationis shown in FIG. 2. The rates of the formulation applications were from⅛× to 1×. The treatments were at one day after inoculation with rustspores (1DAI) or three days after inoculation (3DAI). Rust disease wasmeasured 10 days after inoculation by determining the percent leafinfection. Both formulations demonstrated the ability to reduce percentleaf infection, with the WeatherMAX® formulation providing a greaterbenefit than the Touchdown™ formulation a lower dose rates. The presentinvention provides for the use of WeatherMAX® formulation and effectiveapplication rates thereof for the treatment of fungal disease onglyphosate tolerant plants. Additional glyphosate formulations arecontemplated that provide enhanced uptake in glyphosate tolerant plantsor enhanced uptake in plant pathogens, in particular fungal pathogens.

Example 5 Translocation of Glyphosate for Disease Prevention

14C-glyphosate is sprayed over-the-top to wheat plants using fieldapplication conditions and use rates. The top fully-expanded leaf (oneleaf) is shielded from the spray (the untreated leaf). The untreatedleaf is manually infected with Puccinia spores one day after treatment(1DAT) with glyphosate to generate leaf rust.

Analysis at 11 days after inoculation (DAI) with Puccinia show adecrease in disease incidence with an increase in spray dose. Analysisof glyphosate in the shielded leaf show a decrease in disease with anincrease in tissue glyphosate at 0 or 11 DAI. Complete diseaseprevention was attained at 1.3 ppm glyphosate from spray application of½× of Roundup®. Since the untreated leaf is shielded from the spray,glyphosate in tissues arose strictly from phloem translocation. Theresults indicate that phloem-mobilized glyphosate is associated with theobserved disease prevention and the rust pathogen obtained theglyphosate from contact with plant tissue containing the systemicallytranslocated glyphosate.

Example 6 Systemic Acquired Resistance

To test whether disease control, prevention or treatment correlates withthe induction of Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) time-course Northernblot analysis are conducted as described herein.

Glyphosate tolerant wheat plants (3-4 leaf stage) are separated intothree (3) groups and sprayed with one of the following compositions: a0.1% surfactant blank from Roundup® (WeatherMAX), Roundup® WeatherMAX(0.75 lb/acre), or INA (2,6-dichloro isonicotinic acid, 200 ppm in 0.1%surfactant blank). One-half of the plants from each of the threetreatments are sampled from 0 to 144 hours after treatment for inductionof SAR genes.

The remaining treated plants are inoculated with leaf rust spores(Puccinia triticina) one day after treatment with one of the threecompositions. The inoculated plants are incubated in a dew chamber for24 hours. Leaf tissues from the inoculated plants are collected at timepoints from 0 to 120 hours after inoculation.

Leaf tissue from each sampling is homogenized and total RNA is isolatedfollowing standard methods. The total RNA is separated on an Agarosegel, and transferred to nitrocellulose membrane for use in Northernhybridizations. The membranes containing the separated total RNA arehybridized with radiolabeled representative SAR genes, WIR2 (PR5) andWCI3.

Northern blot analysis revealed that the PR5 gene is induced in leaftissues of all 3 treatments as well as spore inoculation. However,plants treated with Roundup WeatherMAX® are the only plants lackinginfection. Northern results indicated that induction of the PR5induction gene did not correlate with disease control, and therefore isnot responsible for leaf rust resistance. The WCI3 gene is induced byINA treatment but also did not confer leaf rust resistance. The Northernresults indicate that induction of the tested SAR genes does notcorrelate with resistance to leaf rust in RR wheat.

Example 7 Glyphosate as a Post-Infection Treatment

To determine if glyphosate could treat disease post-infection, one topleaf of glyphosate tolerant wheat plants (3-leaf stage) is inoculatedwith rust spores. Depending on the treatment to be used, the spores arethen allowed to germinate. Seven treatments are employed: 1) notreatment, 2) surfactant treatment before spore inoculation, 3)surfactant after spore inoculation, but before spore germination, 4) 1×glyphosate after inoculation before germination, 5) 1× glyphosate aftergermination (0 days after inoculation (DAI)), 6) 1× glyphosate at 1DAI,and 7) 1× glyphosate at 4DAI (lesions were already present). Diseaseincidence is evaluated 11 DAI.

Plants left untreated or treated only with surfactant show infectionlevels of between 10% and about 25%, FIG. 1. In contrast, plants treatedwith glyphosate show either no infection or no progression to anexisting infection. For example, the plants treated with 1× glyphosateat 4DAI in which lesions are already present at the time of treatmentshowed no development of pustules. In contrast, untreated plants showsubstantial development of pustules. These results indicate thatglyphosate compositions can be used to treat fungal infections inplants.

Example 8 Glyphosate to Control, Prevent or Treat Soybean Rust

Asian soybean rust is an aggressive foliar disease of soybean thatoccurs where soybeans are grown in Asia, and more recently, in southernAfrica, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Phakopsora pachyrhizi, thefungus that causes Asian soybean rust, has been found in the continentalUnited States. Glyphosate compositions are used to control, prevent ortreat disease in glyphosate tolerant soybean plants (RR) under fieldconditions. A single application rate of Roundup® (1×=0.75 lbs ae/acreor 0.84 kg ae/ha) or multiple applications are applied times to a rustsusceptible variety of soybean. The Roundup® treated plants are nottreated with any fungicide and allowed to be naturally infected withAsian soybean rust. In addition, glyphosate-tolerant soybean plants canbe grown in a greenhouse and manually infected with spores to induceddisease infection.

The treated and untreated plants are observed for disease incidence andresults obtained for using glyphosate compositions in glyphosatetolerant soybean plants to control, prevent or treat rust. Rustdevelopment is delayed 7-10 days in RR soybean (sprayed at ˜V4 stage),as compared to conventional soy. Rust severity is less in RR soybean ascompared to conventional soybean in early season observations. Thiseffect was observed in multiple RR soybean varieties, and at multiplefield locations in Brazil. Frequent low to moderate rates of glyphosatetreatment during the growing season provides a decrease in diseaseincidence of Asian soybean rust.

A study was conducted in a greenhouse in Brazil to confirm the earlierfield observations and to test for the effects of combining a glyphosateand a fungicide treatment. Two Roundup Ready® soybean cultivars, RR8000and RR8045 that contain the 40-3-2 transgene insert were treated withglyphosate and a fungicide (Opera). The treatments (trt) were Treatment1—no glyphosate spray and no Opera fungicide, Treatment 2—1× glyphosate,no Opera fungicide applied every two weeks starting at V3 (V3=thirdvegetative leaf) until final disease rating; Treatment 3—2× glyphosate,no Opera fungicide every two weeks starting at V3 until final diseaserating;

Treatment 4—no glyphosate, 1× Opera according to manufacturer's label,every two weeks starting at V3 until final disease rating; Treatment5—no glyphosate, 0.5× Opera, every two weeks starting at V3 until finaldisease rating; Treatment 6—1× glyphosate, 0.5× Opera sequential sprays,every two weeks starting at V3 until final disease rating. The resultsare shown in Table 3. The plants of the RR8000 and RR8045 cultivars withtreatment 1, no spray treatment, showed rust disease of 81.7 and 93.3percent, respectively. The treatment 2, 1× glyphosate treatment,demonstrated a reduction in the percent rust disease up to the 56 daytime point; treatment 3, 2× glyphosate, showed a high level of diseasereduction at the first three time points for RR8000 and RR8045,increasing to 30.0 percent and 73.3 percent at the 56 day time point.Treatment 4, Opera 1×, showed a high level of disease reduction in bothcultivars at all time points. Treatment 5, Opera 0.5×, showed a highlevel of disease control for the first two time points, then increasingto 30.0 and 33.3 at the 56 day time point. Treatment 6, 1× glyphosateplus 0.5× Opera, showed a high level of disease control, especially atthe 42 and 56 day time points. These results demonstrate that glyphosatetreatment controls soybean rust disease in glyphosate tolerant soybeanand the effect is synergistic when combined with a fungicide treatment.TABLE 3 Greenhouse study of Glyphosate (glyp) and Opera fungicideeffects on the percent disease of Asian soybean rust on two treatedRoundup Ready soybean cultivars. RR 14d-1 28d-2 42d-3 56d-4 cultivarsspray sprays sprays sprays RR8000 Trt 1 No spray 40.0 56.7 71.7 81.7 Trt2 glyp 1× 23.3 41.7 48.3 88.3 Trt 3 glyp 2× 10.0 10.0 10.0 30.0 Trt 4Opera 1× 3.3 3.3 6.7 13.3 Trt 5 Opera .5× 10.0 10.0 23.3 30.0 Trt 6glyp1× + O.5× 10.0 10.0 10.0 13.3 RR8045 Trt 1 No spray 56.7 71.7 81.793.3 Trt 2 glyp 1× 50.0 56.7 71.7 86.7 Trt 3 glyp 2× 3.3 10.0 13.3 73.3Trt 4 Opera 1× 6.7 10.0 16.7 16.7 Trt 5 Opera .5× 10.0 13.3 26.7 33.3Trt 6 glyp1× + O.5× 3.3 10.0 13.3 13.3

A field study was conducted to further confirm the greenhouse study. Thesame cultivars were planted in three replicated plots and treatments asdescribed in the greenhouse study. Table 4 shows the result of the fieldstudy demonstrating that glyphosate treatment substantially reduces thepercent disease due to Asian soybean rust infection.Glyphosate+fungicide treatment of RR8000 showed a synergistic effect(13.3%) in reducing disease when compared to the glyphosate 1× rate(23.3%) and Opera 0.5×(21.7%) rate treatments. All treatments wereeffective in preventing disease on RR8045 cultivar. These resultsprovide further evidence that glyphosate is useful to control Asiansoybean rust disease in glyphosate tolerant soybeans in a fieldenvironment and that an admixture of glyphosate and a fungicide isparticularly effective. TABLE 4 Field trial Glyphosate (glyp) and Operafungicide effects on the percent disease of Asian soybean rust on twotreated Roundup Ready soybean cultivars cultivar treatment % diseaseRR8000 No spray 50.0 glyp 1× 23.3 glyp 2× 10.0 Opera 1× 6.7 Opera .5×21.7 glyp1× + O.5× 13.3 RR8045 No spray 60.0 glyp 1× 0.0 glyp 2× 1.7Opera 1× 0.0 Opera .5× 0.0 glyp1× + O.5× 3.3

Roundup WeatherMAX® (WMAX) tank mixes with fungicides, insecticides orboth are tested for use in soybean. Soybean rust is a significantproblem disease in South America and serious concern in the U.S. Testingis conducted to develop a method for use of mixtures of the WMAXformulation of glyphosate and various commercially available fungicidesfor weed control and soy rust control as listed in Table 5. The fieldsare planted with Roundup Ready® soybeans after use of tillage or RoundupWMAX to reduce weeds. All plots receive a post plant application ofRoundup WMAX about 3 weeks after planting. The mixtures of WMAX alone orWMAX+fungicide are used to treat the plots at the R1 stage of soybeandevelopment (first flowering) of treatment are listed in Table 5. Datais taken for percent weed control at 7 and 21 days after R1 treatment,soybean safety (% necrosis, chlorosis, growth rate): 5 days aftertreatment, disease rating, and soybean yield (bushels/Acre). Thesemixtures and treatments are designed to provide simultaneous weed andpest control of soybean, such as fungal pest control, for example,soybean rust disease; and insect pest control, for example, aphidcontrol. TABLE 5 Glyphosate plus pesticide mixtures (fungicides and aninsecticide) mix R1, flowering 14 to 21 days after R1 1 WMAX 2 WMAX 3WMAX + Quadris ® 4 WMAX + Bravo ® 5 WMAX + Stratego ® 6 WMAX + Tilt ® 7WMAX + Folicur ® 8 WMAX + Headline ® 9 WMAX + Quadris ® 10 WMAX +Bravo ® 11 WMAX + Stratego ® 12 WMAX + Tilt ® 13 WMAX + Folicur ® 14WMAX + Headline ® 15 WMAX + Warrior ® + Quadris ® 16 WMAX + Warrior ®

Agricultural chemicals are provided in containers suitable for safestorage, transportation and distribution, stability of the chemicalcompositions, mixing with solvents and instructions for use. The presentinvention provides for a container of a mixture of a glyphosate compoundand a fungicide compound, or a mixture of a glyphosate compound and aninsecticide compound, or a mixture of a glyphosate compound and afungicide compound and an insecticide compound (Warrier®). The containermay further provide instructions on the effective use of the mixture.Containers of the present invention can be of any material that issuitable for the storage of the chemical mixture. Containers of thepresent invention can be of any material that is suitable for theshipment of the chemical mixture. The material can be of cardboard,plastic, metal, or a composite of these materials. The container canhave a volume of 0.5 liter, 1 liter, 2 liter, 3-5 liter, 5-10 liter,10-20 liter, 20-50 liter or more depending upon the need. A tank mix ofa glyphosate compound and a fungicide compound is provided, methods ofapplication to the crop to achieve an effective dose of each compoundare known to those skilled in the art and can be refined and furtherdeveloped depending on the crop, weather conditions, and applicationequipment used.

Example 9 Glyphosate to Prevent or Control Rust of Corn

Puccinia sorghi is the fungus causing Common rust disease in corn andSouthern rust disease is caused by the fungus Puccinia polysora. Fieldtests were conducted to determine if glyphosate treatment of RoundupReady® corn nk603 hybrid and inbred lines could reduce the incidence ofdisease caused by rust diseases of corn. The glyphosate tolerant cornplants and non-tolerant control plants were inoculated with Common rustor Southern rust spores.

The glyphosate was applied as a formulation of Roundup® WeatherMAX® (4.5lbs./Gal, 49% a.i.) from a CO2 backpack sprayer with a 2-nozzel boom(8002 nozzle) at 30 pounds per square inch. The treatment waspre-inoculation (treatment #1, approximately 5 hours before theinoculation of the rust spores), 14 days post inoculation (treatment#2), and 28 days post inoculation (treatment #3). Glyphosate was appliedat a 2× rate (1.5 lb./A) and a 3× rate (2.25 lb./A) at each treatmenttime. Two hybrid corn lines (DKC53-33 and DKC60-09) and two inbred cornlines ((87DIA4NK603A and 90DJD28NK603A) were tested in the experimentalplots. The plot size was 2 rows at 10 replications=20 rows per treatmentat 2.5 ft/per row=50 ft. wide at 15 ft. length=750 sq. ft./43,560 sq.ft./Acre=0.0172 Acres/Treatment. Disease ratings were taken on a 1 to 9scale where 1=resistant and 9=susceptible. The rating used in theanalysis is the average of the last three rating dates (approximated 5weeks post inoculation, 7 weeks post inoculation and 9 weeks postinoculation).

The results of the hybrid corn test showed the control plots with anaverage disease rating of 4.1 for each line and treatment #1 at the 2×rate with an average disease rating of 3.6 and a disease rating of 3.0at the 3× rate. Treatment #2 and #3 had a disease rating of 4.1 and 3.9respectively. The inbred corn test showed the control plots with anaverage disease rating of 5.0 and 4.9 for each line and treatment #1with an average disease rating of 4.0 at the 2× rate and 3.2 for the 3×rate. The post inoculation treatments showed a disease rating of 4.4 and4.9.

Natural Common rust infection occurred prior to the artificialinoculations in these tests, therefore the controls(uninoculated/unsprayed, and inoculated/unsprayed) showed about the samedisease rating. These results demonstrated that glyphosate treatmentreduces disease severity of corn rusts, especially when applied early inthe infection process.

Example 10 Verticillium Wilt Control in Roundup Ready® Cotton

Verticillium wilt is a soil borne fungal vascular wilt pathogen thatattacks over 300 woody and herbaceous host plants. Especially importantare members of the Solanaceous plant family, for example, tomato,potato, and eggplant. Other crops of importance are alfalfa, sunflower,peanuts, and cotton. Verticillium dahliae is the causal organism forVerticillium wilt of cotton.

The ability of glyphosate to provide reduction in disease symptoms ofVerticillium wilt of cotton was tested with Roundup Ready® cotton inthree genetic backgrounds. The cotton seeds were planted and the emergedplants were sprayed with 22 ounces of WeatherMax Roundup® at the two andfive true leaf stage. Plants were observed for wilt symptomsapproximately three months and four months after planting. Theglyphosate treated plants showed reduced symptoms and were more vigorousthan the plants in the adjacent untreated plot. The treated plantscontinued to grow compared to the untreated plants that had shut down.The observation indicates that moderately Verticillium resistant andsusceptible cotton lines with glyphosate tolerant genetic backgroundswith benefit from glyphosate treatment to reduce the severity ofVerticillium wilt disease. Cotton plants suffering from other wiltdiseases of cotton, especially Fusarium wilt disease, are expected tobenefit from treatment with glyphosate.

Example 11

Plant 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) enzymes arevery sensitive to glyphosate and kinetic studies have shown that cornEPSPS has a Ki for glyphosate of 0.5 μM, which is equivalent toapproximately 0.15 ppm of glyphosate in plant tissues. Structuralstudies of EPSPS based on X-ray crystallography have identified keyamino acids involved in catalysis. These amino acids are highlyconserved across species and have been used to characterize theinteractions between glyphosate and EPSPS. In fact, the presence of 4unique amino acid motifs has been used to classify the EPSPS enzymesinto glyphosate sensitive or resistant variants (U.S. Pat. No.5,633,435). A search of public databases showed genomic sequences fromtwelve fungi shown in Table 6. We deduced and aligned the amino acidsequences of the fungal EPSPSs and conclude that all twelve areclassified as glyphosate sensitive. The presence of aglyphosatesensitive EPSPS is necessary for glyphosate to have activityagainst a fungal pest, although other processes present in the fungalpest cell could influence the level of effect that glyphosate wouldhave, such as, the presence of a glyphosate metabolism process, orglyphosate transport, or sequestering process. The result of ouranalysis indicates that fungi are likely to posses aglyphosate-sensitive EPSPS, which would translate to inhibition orsuppression of fungal cell growth and development when treated with aglyphosate composition. TABLE 6 EPSPS gene id Fungus Genus species namegi|6320332 Saccharomyces cerevisiae gi|45201161 Eremothecium gossypiigi|46444923 Candida albicans SC5314 gi|19115593 Schizosaccharomycespombe gi|6226554 Aspergillus nidulans gi|44889967 Aspergillus fumigatusgi|38102656 Magnaporthe grisea 70-15 gi|32415183 Neurospora crassagi|46116890 Gibberella zeae PH-1 gi|49074134 Ustilago maydis 521gi|25005077 Thanatephorus cucumeris gi|2492977 Pneumocystis cariniigi|31087950 Puccinia triticina

All publications, patents and patent applications are hereinincorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individualpublication or patent application was specifically and individuallyindicated to be incorporated by reference.

1. A method of controlling a plant pathogen induced disease in aglyphosate tolerant crop plant comprising, identifying said crop, otherthan wheat, in need of disease control; and contacting said crop with aneffective amount of a composition having glyphosate, whereby saiddisease of said crop induced by said plant pathogen is controlled. 2.The method of claim 1, wherein said plant pathogen is a fungal pathogenand comprises a glyphosate sensitive 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphatesynthase.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said fungal pathogen isselected from the group consisting of an obligate parasite, afacultative parasite and a facultative saprophyte.
 4. The method ofclaim 3, wherein said obligate parasite is selected from the groupconsisting of Uredinales, Ustilaginales, Erysiphales, and Oomycetes. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein said crop is selected from the groupconsisting of forage crop, oilseed crop, grain crop, fruit crop,vegetable crop, fiber crop, spice crop, nut crop, turf crop, sugar crop,beverage crop, and forest crop.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein saidcomposition comprising glyphosate is contacted with said croppre-infection of said crop by said plant pathogen.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said composition comprising glyphosate is contactedwith said crop post-infection of said crop by said plant pathogen. 8.The method of claim 1, wherein said effective amount of said compositionhaving glyphosate yields a concentration of glyphosate in a plantpathogen susceptible tissue of said plant from about 0.1 ppm to about 10ppm.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said tissue is a leaf, vasculartissue, flower, root, stem, tuber, seed, or fruit.
 10. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said crop comprises an exogenous nucleic acid moleculeencoding a peptide that confers tolerance to glyphosate.
 11. The methodof claim 10, wherein said peptide is a5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase that is resistant toglyphosate.
 12. A method of controlling weeds and plant pathogen induceddisease in a field of glyphosate tolerant crop plants, said methodcomprising, applying a first composition comprising a first glyphosatecomposition comprising an effective amount to control said weeds; andapplying a second composition comprising an effective amount of a secondglyphosate composition, whereby said second composition controls saiddisease of said crop plants.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein saidfirst and said second compositions are applied at different times. 14.The method of claim 12, wherein said second composition comprises afungicide compound.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein said secondcomposition is applied to the crop pre-infection by the plant pathogen,whereby said second composition prevents establishment of an infectionsite by said pathogen.
 16. The method of claim 12, wherein said secondcomposition is applied to the crop post-infection by the plant pathogen,whereby said second composition treats an infection to prevent crop lossdue to disease.
 17. The method of claim 12, wherein said plant pathogenis a fungal pathogen selected from the group consisting of an obligateparasite, a facultative parasite and a facultative saprophyte.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, wherein said obligate parasite is selected from thegroup consisting of Uredinales, Ustilaginales, Erysiphales, andOomycetes.
 19. The method of claim 12, wherein said effective amount ofglyphosate is sufficient to yield a concentration of glyphosate in aplant pathogen susceptible tissue of said crop of from about 0.1 ppm toabout 10 ppm.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein said tissue is a leaf,vascular tissue, flower, root, stem, tuber, seed, or fruit.
 21. A methodof controlling weeds and a plant pest in a field of glyphosate tolerantcrop plants, other than wheat, said method comprising, applying aglyphosate composition comprising a pesticidal composition comprising aneffective amount to control said weeds and said plant pest.
 22. Themethod of claim 21, wherein said plant pest is a plant pathogen.
 23. Themethod of claim 22, wherein said plant pathogen is a fungal pathogenselected from the group consisting of an obligate parasite, afacultative parasite and a facultative saprophyte.
 24. The method ofclaim 23, wherein said obligate parasite is selected from the groupconsisting of Uredinales, Ustilaginales, Erysiphales, and Oomycetes. 25.The method of claim 21, wherein said effective amount of glyphosate issufficient to yield a concentration of glyphosate in a plant pathogensusceptible tissue of said crop plant of from about 0.1 ppm to about 10ppm.
 26. The method of claim 25, wherein said tissue is a leaf, vasculartissue, flower, root, stem, tuber, seed, or fruit.
 27. The method ofclaim 21, wherein said glyphosate tolerant crop plant selected from thegroup consisting of Roundup Ready® Cotton 1445 and 88913; Roundup Ready®corn GA21, nk603, MON802, MON809; Roundup Ready® Sugarbeet GTSB77 andH7-1; Roundup Ready® Canola RT73 and GT200; oilseed rape ZSR500, RoundupReady® Soybean 40-3-2, Roundup Ready® Bentgrass ASR368, Roundup Ready®alfalfa J-101 and J-163, and Roundup Ready® potato RBMT22-082.
 28. Amethod of increasing the yield of a crop, said method comprising,growing a crop having an exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding apolypeptide, wherein said polypeptide confers plant tolerance toglyphosate; and identifying said crop as in need of disease control; andapplying a composition comprising glyphosate to said crop to controlsaid disease; and harvesting from said crop, a tissue, wherein saidincrease in yield is due to the control of the disease by the action ofthe glyphosate composition.
 29. The method of claim 28, wherein saidharvest is increased about 5% compared to an untreated diseased crop ofthe same cultivar.
 30. The method of claim 28, wherein said harvest isincreased about 10% compared to an untreated diseased crop of the samecultivar.
 31. The method of claim 28, wherein said harvest is increasedabout 20% compared to an untreated diseased crop of the same cultivar.32. The method of claim 28, wherein said crop plant is selected from thegroup consisting of forage crop, oilseed crop, grain crop, fruit crop,vegetable crop, fiber crop, spice crop, nut crop, turf crop, sugar crop,beverage crop, and forest crop.
 33. The method of claim 28, wherein saidexogenous nucleic acid molecule encodes a5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase that is resistant toglyphosate.
 34. The method of claim 28, wherein said tissue is selectedfrom the group consisting of seeds, fruits, grain, bolls, leaves, roots,stems, and tubers.
 35. The method of claim 28, wherein a source leaf ofis protected from disease symptoms.
 36. The method of claim 28, whereina vascular tissue is protected from disease symptoms.
 37. The method ofclaim 28, wherein a stem tissue is protected from disease symptoms. 38.The method of claim 28, wherein the root is protected from diseasesymptoms.
 39. A method for treating leaf rust disease in a soybean plantcomprising, identifying a soybean plant as being infected with a rustpathogen; and applying a composition having glyphosate to said soybeanplant or portion thereof, whereby said composition results in saidinfection being controlled.
 40. The method of claim 39, wherein saidcomposition comprises a fungicide.
 41. A method for preventing leaf rustdisease in a soybean plant comprising, identifying a soybean plant asbeing at risk of infection by a rust pathogen; and applying acomposition having glyphosate to said soybean plant, whereby theinfection is prevented in said soybean plant by said rust pathogen. 42.The method of claim 41, wherein said composition comprises a fungicide.43. A method for treating leaf rust disease in a corn plant comprising,identifying a corn plant as being infected with a rust pathogen; andapplying a composition having glyphosate to said corn plant or portionthereof, whereby said composition results in said infection beingcontrolled.
 44. The method of claim 43, wherein said compositioncomprises a fungicide.
 45. A method for preventing leaf rust disease ina corn plant comprising, identifying a corn plant as being at risk ofinfection by a rust pathogen; and applying a composition havingglyphosate to said corn plant, whereby the infection is prevented insaid corn plant.
 46. The method of claim 45, wherein said compositioncomprises a fungicide.
 47. A method for treating a wilt disease in acotton plant comprising, identifying a cotton plant as being infectedwith vascular wilt pathogen; and applying a composition havingglyphosate to said cotton plant or portion thereof, whereby saidcomposition results in said infection being controlled.
 48. The methodof claim 47, wherein said composition comprises a fungicide.
 49. Amethod for preventing a wilt disease in a cotton plant comprising,identifying a cotton plant as being at risk of infection by vascularwilt pathogen; and applying a composition having glyphosate to saidcotton plant, whereby the infection is prevented in said cotton plant.50. The method of claim 49, wherein said composition comprises afungicide.
 51. An admixture of a glyphosate compound and a plant pestcontrol compound for use on a glyphosate tolerant crop plant to preventor control plant damage caused by a plant pest on said crop, whereinsaid admixture is applied to said crop at a dose less than that normallyapplied for said glyphosate compound or said pest control compound. 52.The admixture of claim 51, wherein the pest control compound is asystemic or a contact fungicide compound.
 53. The admixture of claim 51,wherein said fungicide compound is selected from the group consisting ofmembers of the chemical groups strobilurins, triazoles, chloronitriles,carboxamides and mixtures thereof.
 54. The admixture of clam 52, whereinsaid pest control compound is an insecticide.
 55. A container of amixture of glyphosate compound and a pest control compound, wherein saidcontainer has a volume of at least 0.5 liters.
 56. The container ofclaim 55, wherein said pest control compound is a fungicide compound.57. The container of claim 55, wherein said pest control compound is aninsecticide compound.
 58. The container of claim 55, wherein saidcontainer comprises an instruction means for use of said mixture.
 59. Amethod to reduce the residues of a glyphosate compound and a fungicidecompound in a crop plant tissue and in an environmental comprising,formulating an admixture of the compounds; and applying to said cropplant a dose that is less than the dose normally applied to said cropplant of each compound, wherein the treated crop plant is protected fromcrop losses due to fungal disease, and the glyphosate and fungicideresidues in said plant or said environment are reduced.
 60. A method toreduce fungal resistance to a fungicide comprising, providing anadmixture of a glyphosate compound and a fungicide compound; andtreating a crop plant that is susceptible to a fungal plant pathogen,wherein the compounds have different modes of action to prevent orreduce fungal disease in said plant.
 61. A method for controlling afungal disease in a glyphosate tolerant crop plant, other than wheat,comprising, treatment of the crop plant comprising plant cells with aglyphosate composition, wherein a chemical exchange occurs between theplant cell and a fungal pathogen cell allowing movement of theglyphosate into the fungal cell from the plant cell, and the fungal cellcontains a glyphosate sensitive a 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphatesynthase.
 62. The method of claim 61, wherein the glyphosate compositioncomprises a plant systemic fungicide.
 63. A method to control a fungaldisease in a glyphosate tolerant crop plant comprising treatment of saidcrop plant with an effective dose of a glyphosate formulation thatcomprises adjuvants that enhance the uptake and efficacy of glyphosateselected from the group consisting of polyoxyalkylene alkylamines,polyoxyalkylene alkylammonium salts, polyoxyalkylene alkylamine oxides,polyoxyalkylene tertiary and quaternary etheramines, polyoxyalkyleneetheramine oxides, mono- and di- (polyoxyalkylene alcohol) phosphates,polyoxyalkylene alkylethers, polyoxyethylene coco and tallow amines,polyoxyethylene C₈₋₁₈ alkyl oxypropyl amines, polyoxyethylene C₁₆₋₂₂alkylethers and combinations thereof.
 64. A kit for controllingpathogens on a glyphosate tolerant crop, other than wheat, comprising, acomposition comprising glyphosate, and an instruction means for applyingsaid composition in a first application to control weeds and a secondapplication to said crop to control a plant pathogen.
 65. The kit ofclaim 64, wherein said instruction means is selected from the groupconsisting of written instructions, audio instructions, pictorialinstructions and video instructions.